A Whole New 'Chain of Commands'
by LadySword04
Summary: After dealing with an irritated and offended hanyou, Kagome realizes that the restraint she placed upon him is causing more pain than Inuyasha will ever admit. So Kagome decides to make an unusual and unexpected change.
1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:** I know what you're thinking…LS04 has done it again…she's writing another story without finishing the three she's already working on. What more can I say other than…Guilty again. Oh well. I got this idea and just felt like writing it out. Hope you enjoy it!

**Disclaimer: **As this story is posted on fan fiction I would imagine that being the intelligent human beings you are, you realize I have no claim on the characters that I am writing about. I own the idea for this story. Nothing more.

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**A Whole New 'Chain of Commands'  
July 30 - August 1, 2006  
LadySword04****­

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June twentieth had finally arrived, and with it the end of classes, homework, projects, exams, and other loops that teachers insisted their students jump through during the school year. For some it didn't come fast enough; for others it crept upon them before they realized it.

The official end of the year was signaled by the chiming of school bells and the celebratory shouts of students as they reveled in the feeling of finally shaking free from their shackles to enjoy their new found freedom. Three months of hanging out, partying, and fun filled vacations awaited them all.

Kagome pushed her way through the crowded hallways to get to her locker and empty it out. The lock had been turned in a mere minute ago along with all her school books. Now came the task of taking down photos, collapsible shelves, mirrors, and collecting her notebooks. Completing her task, she closed the locker door as she realized this would be the last time that year. The end of the year was punctuated by the finality of the of the metallic sound of the locker door closing on an empty locker.

'I did it! I managed to get through my first year of high school with a fairly respectable GPA of 3.25. Yeah right, respectable for sure! Who am I kidding! Well I guess considering the circumstances, I guess it's respectable enough for me. I still have three years to pull it up…but now I definitely don't have a chance of getting a 4.0. Not to mention the fact that I only managed to pull my GPA from first semester up because of the pact I made with InuYasha. I should have tried harder this semester. Gosh, compared to my friends, I must look like a total failure. I mean Ayumi has a 3.8 GPA where Eri has a 3.5 and Yuka has that stellar 4.0. I'm right back to where I was again in middle school. I'm hopelessly falling behind again.' She heaved an exasperated sigh before remembering she had to get home. 'Oh, and I sure do hope this quest makes some headway this summer. It had better; I can't afford to do poorly my sophomore year.'

On her way out, a female chorus of sorts pulled her out of her musings by calling her name. "Kagome!" The three girls shouted at her in almost perfect unison. Immediately Kagome spun around and waved back.

"Hey you guys!" Kagome shouted back while waving. "How does it feel to be free of being called a freshman? We're no longer at the bottom of the totem poll now! We survived, and it wasn't all that bad ne?"

To her comment all shared a good laugh. As it turned out, the jokes about getting stuffed into lockers and otherwise tormented by upperclassmen turned out to be nothing more than rumors meant to intimidate them. The only problem Kagome ever had was in getting directions to some of her classes. Some of the upperclassmen thought it was funny to tell her that she had to go to the third floor in Z Hall, proceed past the pool, and then she would find the gym.

"I'm just glad we listened to Yuka's older sister Nazuna. Her advice was so helpful!" Ayumi stated.

"Yeah and correct!" Eri chimed in.

"She was right about them leaving you alone as long as you don't get in their way, and avoid holding conversations with them." Ayumi added thoughtfully.

"Oh but Sophomore year will be so much better! And so much more fun! You get to talk to Juniors, Sophomores, and Freshmen without trouble. And Senior year you're free to interact with anyone you want" Yuka stated, clearly not wanting to be excluded.

"Yeah I guess you're all right." Kagome replied with a chuckle

"Hey, do you want to go to WacDonald's? I'm starving!" Yuka asked.

"Maybe some other time guys, I have to get home right away. I promised I would help my mom with dinner and my Grandfather with some shrine ritual tonight. I'll catch up with you all later ok? Have a great summer!" 'Well at least that's mostly true, and it sounds better than telling them that I don't feel well like I used to do in middle school.'

"Sure, same to you Kagome! Keep in touch and don't forget to call us!" Ayumi piped up.

"And don't you try to hide at the shrine all three months! If we have to we'll drag you out of there!" Eri threatened.

"You got it! See you all later! Ja ne!" With a quick wave, she was off to the bike rack to claim her bike and release it from its prison. She all but flew home.

Mama was there at the door to greet her daughter with a "Welcome home" and a pleasant smile. "Hello Mama!" Kagome called as she lowered the bike's kick stand to prop it up near the back door. That task out of the way she gave her mom a hug and another smile.

Upon entering the house, Kagome saw her pack and at least eight plastic bags full of food and treats. Noticing her daughter's line of sight Mrs. Higurashi commented, "You're all packed sweetie. I went shopping today and I am almost certain that I bought enough to last you at least a month. As for the ramen though, the length of time it survives depends on how hungry a certain hanyou is during the duration of your journey. Oh, and there are some cartons of Pocky for Shippou along with the group's favorite 'ninja foods.'"

To her mother's use of Shippou's term for the bagged and canned foods Kagome often brought back with her, Kagome couldn't help but chuckle.

Mama always made sure the group had enough groceries and supplies to last until her next homecoming, but it had been a running joke as of late about the ramen. Kagome would carry armfuls of it to the other side and had recently begun counting the days it took for all of it to disappear completely. It had become just as much fun to report as Shippou's adorable antics, and her mother had come to expect the "ramen report" as a part of the welcome home conversation.

"Thanks Mama!"

"You're welcome dear. Now, go get washed up for dinner. When you get back could you please set the table?"

"Sure! No problem. Be right back." Kagome stated loudly as she headed for the stairs.

Twenty minutes went by before dinner was officially ready. Souta had just gotten home, and Gramps was waking up from his afternoon nap. Dinner was pleasant, the conversation was good, and the food was even better. The family knew of Kagome's promise and wanted to spend every minute on any topic other than her departure.

And to top it all off, Mama had made Oden.

Kagome and her mother washed the dishes together and Souta dried them while Gramps got set up for his well ceremony. Somewhere in the middle of the task, her mother had to know for sure.

"Kagome dear, how long will you be gone?"

"I promised InuYasha and the group that I would be there until the twentieth of July. I should be home for a week afterwards, if not a few days more."

"A whole month though! Are you sure?"

"Yes I am Mama. I promised InuYasha that if he let me stay here during the week this past semester and only came to get me on the weekends, that I would stay in the Feudal Era for one month."

Souta had remained silent, just listening to the girls converse. "Kagome I'm gonna' miss you." He stated in a quiet tone.

"I'm going to miss you too Souta, but I will be back I promise."

"Well, I know you have made up your mind, and have had it made up for some time now, but it's just such a long time. Promise me that you will be careful."

"I will Mama. Besides, InuYasha and the group have always kept me safe. I'm not really in any real danger, please don't worry. I'll be fine, my skills and aim have only been improving. But I have to get going, it's getting late. I'll see you all again before you know it. Love you!" With a hug to her mother and brother, Kagome picked up her things and headed out to the well house. She set down the plastic grocery bags before sliding the doors open. Kagome picked all her things up and started down the stairs that led to the well and her Grandfather.

Gramps was in there chanting, setting ofuda on fire and then letting them burn out in the metal bucket filled with sand he brought with him. He had been pouring ceremonial sake down the well and praying for a while too. Kagome took a seat next to him to listen to his chanting. It was a prayer to keep her safe on her journey and that she would return home to them unscathed. He looked up for just a minute before giving her a blessing and then a hug.

Kagome offered him thanks and watched as he continued in his prayers as she sat on the rim of the well with all her bags. With a final look and a "good-bye" Kagome was falling through the endless expanse of time before finally touching down on solid ground somewhere 500 years in the past.

'It never ceases to amaze me how this well seems to mark the exact time that I departed and return me to it or to the correct day without taking me backwards in time.' Looking up and taking in her surroundings, she couldn't help but think out loud.

"The skies are clear blue, birds are singing, and the weather is pleasant too. It feels like a nice 23 to 24 degrees Celsius."

Realizing that she would have no help getting out of the well as a certain voice had yet to reach her ears, she wisely decided to make two trips to get all of her supplies out of the well lest she fall and break her neck. Reaching the top, she threw her yellow pack over the mouth of the well and descended into the depths once more to retrieve the grocery bags. Those too were placed on the ground near the well before she attempted to emerge from the well entirely. Her feet now safely on solid ground once more, she gathered her things and headed for the village that housed Kaede's hut and hopefully still contained her friends. 'The sun is setting, I better hurry to make it into the village before anything gets the genius idea to come after me.'

She was making good time and was just about halfway to her destination before she was met by her favorite hanyou. Without a word he swiftly took the plastic bags from her and turned to head back into the village. Before ten steps were taken, Kagome spoke.

"Thanks InuYasha" to convey her gratitude at having the burden of the grocery bags taken from her along with the security that came with having her 'protector' near in the fading sunlight.

InuYasha understood the meaning behind her thanks but he was irritable from having spent a week without a good fight and the shard collecting that came immediately after, so it was understandable that he would be in a sour mood and would insult her.

"It's nothing. Wouldn't want you to trip and damage some body part that would force us to stay here any extra length of time." He muttered loudly enough for her to hear.

In response to his statement, Kagome's eye twitched as she battled with herself mentally. 'Why of all The Nerve! Wait a second, he's baiting me. Either that or he's upset at having to sit around this village all week as searching for shards without me would have been pointless. He's probably upset by having to put up with Shippou all week too…the two of them don't exactly get along. Besides, I just got here and I certainly don't want to argue. After all, I did promise Sango, Shippou, Miroku and Kirara that I would be here for an entire month and I intend to keep my promise to them as well, irate hanyou or not. Kami knows what those four have had to put up with and have suffered through with InuYasha this past week and all those before it this past semester. I will not break my promise.'

"Whatever InuYasha" Kagome tossed back at him before running the few remaining yards to the hut where her friends were awaiting her arrival.

"Oi Wench! Weren't you listening to a word I said? You had better not be ignoring me! Kagome!" He bellowed after her. Apparently during the time Kagome had been thinking, InuYasha had been berating her for taking so long to return, and complaining about Naraku gaining even more shards of the jewel while he was forced into inactivity.

As he entered the hut, the reed mat was angrily flung to one side, but his assault on Kaede's hut didn't end there. He stomped his feet as he walked inside to make as much noise as possible and convey his ire to his friends. However, everyone was too busy welcoming Kagome back to notice the hanyou's temper tantrum.

Shippou as usual was first to greet her, his sharp demonic senses alerting him to her approach. "Kagome!" He squealed in delight as he launched himself at her. Sango had then promptly risen and hugged her friend stating how relieved she was to see Kagome again. She of course was careful not to injure Shippou, who was now pressed between the two girls. When Sango released her she again stated "Kagome! We're so glad you're back!" And during all this, Kirara offered her own unique mew of welcome while rubbing Kagome's legs affectionately. Kagome picked her up and cuddled both the fire cat and her kitsune child. At this, Miroku offered his own words of welcome.

Sango had earlier warned him that any lechery on his part would drive her back home and they would be stuck for another few days with an irritated hanyou.

Before InuYasha could enter the hut though, Shippou had warned Kagome that "InuYasha has been even more grumpy than normal" in a whisper so that only she could hear. She responded "I got a taste of that earlier. As soon as we head out again I'm sure he'll settle down." She whispered back.

Once the group had welcomed Kagome back, they took note of InuYasha whose obvious display of anger was now over. He was sitting in a corner with his arms crossed while he glared at the group.

At roughly the same time the priestess, Kaede entered. She had been out in her garden weeding and selecting the sections of herbs that were mature enough to include in her herbal remedies and healing potions. When she heard a commotion she rushed inside only to be pleasantly surprised to see her favorite miko in training.

"Why Kagome! Ye have returned! It is so good to see ye again child for this old woman has missed ye."

"Hello Kaede oba-san! It's so good to see you as well." Kagome offered with a smile.

"Tell this old woman, will ye be staying for dinner before ye head out again on the quest for shards?"

Looking to her friends, Sango, Miroku, and Shippou nodded and Kagome replied with, "That would be wonderful! Thank-you for the offer Kaede-sama."

"Then this old woman shall put on some stew." With that the aged miko began preparations for cooking.

Hearing muttering, Kagome turned to find that InuYasha looked a bit angrier than before and she caught enough of his ramblings to know that he was displeased at her decision to stay and waste more time in the village. But he did accept the fact that they wouldn't get far before they had to set up camp anyway, and at least by staying here they would be full, well rested and safe tonight. Of course he had every intention of getting them up early and heading out as soon as "humanly" possible.

Kagome just rolled her eyes and ignored him. 'Tonight I am going to enjoy everyone's company and if a certain inu-youkai doesn't like it then too bad. He's not going to spoil tonight. This may be the last time for awhile that I get to see Kaede oba-san.'

The evening meal was spent catching up on what Kagome and the others had spent the last five days doing and how Kagome had done on her final exams along with her final grades. InuYasha chose to sit on the roof to eat his meal, which consisted of some stew and a bowl of ramen, before he left to go sit in the Goshinboku Tree for the night.

The others cleaned up and then prepared to settle in for a good night's rest. A round of "Oyasumi nasai" could be heard for a few moments, then all closed their eyes, just waiting for sleep to claim them.

The sleeping arrangements were the same as always; Sango and Kirara lay curled up in the hay, Kagome and Shippou shared Kagome's sleeping bag, and Miroku sat propped up against the wall with his staff across his lap. Kaede was in the back room where she usually slept. And InuYasha was out in his tree keeping watch as usual.

At morning's first light, InuYasha darted into the hut and proceeded to shake each of his human companions a little to awaken them. Breakfast was quickly prepared and eaten in almost complete silence. Kaede was still asleep and would probably enjoy the chance to sleep for awhile longer. They would wake her before they left.

"Good morning!" Kaede greeted as she emerged from the back room of the hut.

"Good morning to you too Kaede oba-san!" Kagome and Sango stated with a smile.

"We're about to head out again. There is still a bit of breakfast left if you want it." Kagome offered.

"Thank you Kagome. Have a safe journey." Kaede replied.

"We will. See you when we return!" Sango added.

With that the group left the hut and then the village on foot. InuYasha decided to lead them through the forest that did not bear his name just outside the village as it would save time in the long run. They had been fighting up in the mountains last weekend, and that mountain chain was on the other side of this forest. InuYasha was itching for another battle, and figured that the site of their last battle would be an excellent place to resume their search for shards and find something to beat up on.

After all, Kagome had mentioned the presence of multiple shards in the area, and they had only defeated one of the beasts that had a shard before the others disappeared deep within the mountain taking at least three shards with them. Kagome had warned that pursuing them would be pointless as they probably had a network of tunnels and traps just waiting for them to fall into. It would be smarter to wait them out or come back some other time and lure them out. They waited a time in silence and nothing appeared so they were forced to move on. At that time they were on a tight schedule and Kagome had to be home the next morning for school.

After stumbling over a root, Kagome retrieved her flashlight from her pack and used it to light up the path for Sango and Miroku as well as herself since they too seemed to be having trouble navigating. It was still relatively dark and the dense canopy of leaves overhead made the trek through the forest dangerous as roots and pits were concealed. InuYasha had stated that it would be best to walk through the forest because of the many low branches and the possibility of attack. If Kagome were using InuYasha as a means of transportation, he would have to put her down and waste valuable seconds in doing so. The demons that inhabited this forest were known to be swift and efficient killers. Therefore, InuYasha, Shippou, and Kirara were on alert for any sounds other than those of harmless forest beings like rabbits and deer so the humans just had to focus on keeping up with InuYasha's fast pace and not falling down.

When the sun had finally reclaimed her place in the sky, the forest had become considerably lighter and Kagome was able to put her flashlight away. Their journey seemed to drag on forever, and the silence was maddening. If they talked they would draw unnecessary attention to themselves.

They continued on until lunch, when the group outvoted InuYasha on stopping for a rest and a meal. He begrudgingly complied with their wishes. He was eager to find more shards, but realized they were not too far away from their destination. 'Seems like we made good time this morning though. I'm not happy about having to stop, but at least we're close.' InuYasha thought.

Within twenty minutes, lunch was ready and the group sat down to eat and rest. As soon as they packed up again, InuYasha began walking once more and impatiently motioned for the group to follow him. An hour later found them emerging from the forest's edge and into a clearing at the foot of the mountain they had actively been seeking since that morning.

Seeing that her friend was preparing for battle, Kagome hoped what she had to say would stop him long enough to allow her to speak. Her information would be valuable and would definitely alter their battle strategy.

"InuYasha! Wait a minute! I've got to tell you something first! Charging in there without a plan will not work this time!" Kagome spoke softly knowing his sensitive ears would pick her words up easily. She was hoping to keep themselves hidden from the youkai for as long as possible, enabling them to gain the upper hand and grasp the victory that had thus far eluded them with these creatures.

"I went home and did some research on these youkai. They're called Eurasian Badgers. They're known to live in clans with up to twelve members. They live in setts that are basically an intricate maze of tunnels, chambers, and exit holes to the outside world. And they are mainly nocturnal. We have to wait until nightfall to see them. But now we need to find the pathways that they use to feed. My suggestion is to lure them out here with food and single them out. I don't want to hurt the ones without jewel shards ok?"

"So we wait until nightfall then?" Sango asked

"We can…but on rare occasions they come out during the day to feed. Maybe we'll get lucky if we're patient enough. We can't go charging in there or all of them will attack…and from what I have read they have very powerful jaws and sharp teeth and claws along with a tenacious personality. If we attack we better finish off the one we're fighting or else it will keep defending itself and its home. We're in its home range or territory now so we have to be careful."

"What would you suggest we do then Lady Kagome?" Miroku inquired.

"You and Sango should go find acorns, blackberries, roots like the wild arum, and plant bulbs. I have fruits and some cereals with me that we can place along each of those worn paths in the ground cover at the foot of the mountain. Then we wait. Those trails look far enough apart to single them out, attack, get out, and get set up for the next badger with a shard. As soon as possible we should leave and hopefully the remaining members will leave us alone. InuYasha, Shippou, and I will watch for any signs of activity. We'll wait for you here. Sound good everyone?"

Her only response from InuYasha was an irritated "Keh!"

Who could blame him? He didn't get to attack anything yet, the shards were right in front of him and he had to wait! Not to mention the fact that he knew Kagome was right. By sitting around following her plan he was taking her advice and going along with it!

'It would be so much easier to just use the Kaze no Kizu and tear the mountain side up, which should kill all the stupid anaguma youkai, run in there and take back the shards. But we're stuck doing it her way. If this doesn't work out she's in big trouble!' InuYasha thought.

"Ok then. Kirara could you take us?" Sango said as she prepared to leave. Kirara mewed her assent before she was engulfed in flames and emerged from them in her transformed state.

"We shall return before sunset Lady Kagome." Miroku spoke as he climbed behind Sango on Kirara's back.

With a roar, Kirara took her friends to the skies. Kagome watched them go for a moment before sitting behind some trees to wait. InuYasha had climbed up into a tree a few yards from where Kagome was sitting and was determining the direction of the wind. If it continued to saunter by in the direction it was currently flowing, they should have no problem staying upwind of their targets.

Kagome, Shippou, and InuYasha remained at their posts observing the mountain side and foothills for any sign of movement. And after four hours (Kagome's watch now said 6:00 PM), there was still no sign of movement. Kagome began preparing a simple meal that did not require the use of a cook-fire. Another night of fruit drink-boxes, dried fruits, granola bars and other packaged, non-perishable goods brought to them by the 21st century.

Just as she had finished unpacking their makeshift "badger stake out" dinner, Sango, Miroku, and Kirara appeared.

"Welcome back you guys! I have a few things for dinner I hope you all like. I know we can't make a fire, so I hope this will do. How did the search go?" Kagome whispered.

"Rather well Kagome-chan. We found lots of acorns, blackberries, wild bulbs and roots too. Where's InuYasha?" Sango whispered back as she sat and took the food from Kagome.

"How did the observation session go Lady Kagome and Shippou? Find anything of interest?" Miroku quietly voiced his question while accepting his "dinner" too.

"So far we haven't seen anything moving about. InuYasha is in a tree a few yards from here and said that he could smell that a few are moving around inside the tunnels while others are sleeping. The ones that are moving stirred about an hour ago." Kagome said before taking a bite of her granola bar. "We have to be quiet and remain upwind though, and as soon as we finish eating we have to set up our bait."

"And if things get rough Kagome said she's gonna' rely on me to use my fox magic to distract the others!" Shippou piped up in his cute manner.

"That's right! And if necessary are you okay with transforming into a badger to tell them they have nothing to worry about Shippou?" Miroku couldn't help but ask.

"I can do it!" Shippou smirked, the picture of confidence.

Kagome smiled and patted him on the head affectionately. A short time later found them setting up the piles of mixed fruits, acorns, cereals, and vegetation that they had collected at each of the dozen paths that were worn into the landscape. InuYasha kept a close eye on everyone from the trees as they worked to ensure their safety.

When the task was complete, the three humans and two youkai returned to their spot behind some trees and bushes at the edge of the clearing. The sun was beginning to set at 8:00 PM and that was when the badgers decided to leave the sett and look for food. At first, only one anaguma youkai emerged and seemed to be testing the air to make sure that no enemies lurked near by. The creature then ventured down the side of the mountain and followed a path.

Kagome couldn't help but pray that by the end of the night her plan would have worked and they were in possession of three if not more jewel shards. She signaled to InuYasha that this one had a jewel shard embedded in its chest by holding up her hand, pointing to the shards at her neck, then pointed to the spot between both of her clavicles.

InuYasha nodded and leapt into action. The youkai was busy eating the fruits Kagome left for it and seemed to be enjoying its free meal. InuYasha remembered that Kagome had mentioned earlier that these creatures relied entirely on their sense of smell, so he wisely decided to come at it from behind and grab it by the scruff of its neck before flinging the surprised youkai towards the trees. Using his hanyou speed, he caught up to it just after it landed and dealt the final blow.

He cut out the shard and handed it to Kagome as Sango and Miroku dragged the corpse into the forest so the other members of its clan would not see or smell what had just occurred.

As soon as InuYasha jumped back up into one of the trees, three more anaguma appeared. He looked to Kagome who shook her head to tell him that none of the beings had a shard.

The youkai followed separate trails and were lost from sight as they took the trails to the right, and the farthest from the group that was watching them. Ten minutes later, four badgers emerged, two from each hole and one following close behind the other. Two of the four split off and headed to the trails to the left of the group while the other two chose the paths that led close by their hunters.

Again looking to Kagome for direction, InuYasha was informed that these two had shards. The one on the left had a shard in each of its front paws and the one to the right had one nestled in the hollow of his mandible. Sango and Miroku were then signaled the same information. InuYasha signaled to them that he was going to take one of them and heave it straight for the slayer and houshi while he took care of the other one.

In all five shards were collected and four youkai (counting the ones from last week) were dead and given a hasty but proper burial. As soon as the task was accomplished, the group quickly raced back through the woods this time using Inuyasha's and Kirara's speed to aid them in their flight. Kagome checked her watch once more. An hour had gone by and the air was becoming chilly without the warmth of the sun and its rays. They should be far enough away at least for tonight to be safe from the anaguma youkai.

Moments later InuYasha veered to the left and the group was now standing in a small clearing. InuYasha set Kagome down and investigated the surrounding area for any sign or smell of youkai that could cause them harm.

The remaining members of the group set up camp for the night while InuYasha was out on patrol. Needless to say, it was not long after InuYasha returned that everyone fell into the world of dreams; everyone but the ever watchful hanyou that kept them safe each night. He decided it would be safe to close his eyes for a short amount of time as there was nothing dangerous lurking within ear shot. However, said sensory organ remained on high alert for any potential threat. An hour into his period of rest in the twilight stage of sleep, InuYasha heard something thrashing around and murmuring. He snapped awake immediately and scanned the group first.

The noise was coming from two beings; one was Shippou who was complaining in his sleep how he didn't get to use his kistune magic to aid them in their most recent battle. The other was Kagome, who was currently asleep and must be having a nightmare. He jumped down beside her and put his hand on her shoulder in an attempt to rouse her from her dream.

**Kagome's Dream**

"…and that child is how ye would cast a barrier around sound. With slight modification, even one's speech may become inaudible even to a demon's sharp ears." Kaede finished her demonstration with an explanation of what had just occurred.

"Now Kagome, ye may give the barrier a try."

'Here goes nothing!' Kagome thought before bowing her head and closing her eyes in concentration. Her hands came together with her palms and fingers in close contact, and her brow furrowed as her role in altering the barrier became more active. As usual, a soft 'pop' could be heard. Then something out of the ordinary occurred. Something was grabbing her shoulder and squeezing while shaking her.

**End Dream**

With that Kagome bolted upright, now fully awake and becoming aware of her surroundings in the real world once more. With a gasp she realized that the hand gripping her shoulder belonged to InuYasha who wore a concerned look on his face. She said a sleepy "Thanks InuYasha. It's nothing to worry about…just a bad dream. I'm sorry that I bothered you."

"Feh! I was awake anyway. Get back to sleep Kagome." He whispered to her before jumping back up into the tree he deemed good enough to sleep in.

Kagome watched him leave and settle in before thinking about what she had dreamt. The visions replayed in her now conscious mind right before her open eyes, and she felt powerless to stop them.

'That dream again! It seems to me that this particular skill wants to torment me for not being able to master it quite right! Though I don't remember that loud popping noise at the end; it must have been a log in the fire that woke me up. And InuYasha grabbing me came at the end, but that was in the real world and not meant to be a part of my dream. What is my mind trying to show me?' She thought while hugging her knees to aid her in sitting upright.

A sudden chill on her back reminded her that the night air was indeed fairly cold and that she had left the increasingly welcome warmth of her sleeping bag. Deciding to lay back down and try to warm up again, Kagome looked up to the night sky for a time.

'The moon is so pretty tonight. Come to think of it, I have always enjoyed looking at it. The right side is dark and the left has a crescent sliver of light remaining. So it's a waning crescent. That means that tomorrow night or the one after will be the new moon. No doubt he will get us up early and demand that we move swiftly to get somewhere safe. I better rest while I still can.'

With a yawn and a stretch, Kagome rolled on her side and closed her eyes willing the dream world to be kinder to her and allow her mind some well deserved and needed sleep. Over the next few minutes she drifted back into the world of dreams and endless possibilities.

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Chapter One of Two is done! Let me know what you all think. I promise that the next chapter will have a lot more action and you will see why this story is named as it is. This chapter is almost 13 pages long and I don't want to go too far and make a chapter so long that no-one is willing to read it. Hope to hear from you and I will be posting again soon. I have re-discovered my muse…at least I think I have. I start house sitting for two different people tomorrow until the 19th so I should have plenty of time to write.**

**See you all next update!**

**LadySword04**


	2. What Mouths Off Must Be 'Sat'

**Author's Note****:** The long awaited next chapter is finally here! Sorry it took so long but you know how life and school are….always getting in the way. Hope you enjoy! Please review to let me know what you think. There will definitely be another chapter or so to this story. It's getting long and I still have so much to write. But, seeing as I haven't updated in Forever, I figured I should post to let you know I am still alive and writing.

**Disclaimer****:** Assuming that you are aware of your surroundings, you should know by now that I only own the plot. The characters along with the anime series and the manga are not mine!

**Chapter Two: What Mouths off must be 'Sat'**

The next morning found the group sleeping in a few minutes longer than normal. Inuyasha was still situated on his branch admiring the sunrise while he continued to keep watch.

The sun had decided to grace the sky with her favorite colors this morning. Even the clouds were participating in her masterpiece. Her rays were painting the sky purple, red, orange, yellow, and pink while the cloud cover was blending in with each of the colors to give them a softer and more feathery look. Still other clouds were allowing the sun's golden fingers to pass between them to create the illusion of spotlights on the earth below.

'The group should be waking up any minute. I can't wait to get back on the hunt for shards again. I'd better hurry things along so we can get out of this forest before something finally finds us. Our luck was good last night…don't know how much longer it'll hold out though and I don't wanna' push it.' Inuyasha thought.

Approaching Kagome first, he knelt down beside her and put his hand on her shoulder for a moment and then hastily removed it while flinching backwards in anticipation of being hit.

'Don't wanna' get slapped again!' he thought. When his first attempt failed to elicit any response, he decided to try again. 'It figures that when she has a nightmare I don't get slapped, but I do when she's peacefully dreaming!'

During his thoughts, Kagome had rolled on her side and snuggled even deeper into her sleeping bag. At this, Inuyasha scowled and tried again.

"Kagome" he whispered while he shook her shoulder again.

"Five more minutes mom please? I don't have to go to school anymore." Kagome sleepily mumbled.

'Mom!?! What the heck?!?' Inuyasha fumed through clenched teeth.

Undeterred, he decided to try another tactic. Locating the slight dip in her figure before her hip, Inuyasha poked her, not hard by any measure, but enough to tickle through the thick material of her sleeping bag.

With a squeal of surprise and shock, Kagome whipped around and sat up as fast as was humanly possible. Assuming she was under attack she had grabbed her pillow and hit her assailant with it.

Having met with failure the first time, Inuyasha had believed he was safe from Kagome's open palms. Imagine his surprise then when his plan not only worked, but his face was met with a pillow hurled in his direction.

In order to maintain his balance Inuyasha's arms flailed about wildly before grabbing at Kagome's sleeping bag to counterbalance himself. Instead he caught Shippo's tail and promptly landed on the ground with Shippo as a 'mask' of sorts.

Said kitsune protested with an aggravated shout of "What was that for?!?"

Needless to say the rest of the camp was up shortly after the outburst, having come to a similar conclusion that something was amiss. Before Inuyasha could respond, Sango and Miroku were looking in his direction.

"Feh!" he replied as he turned his nose up at the fox kit. Standing, he put his hands in the billowing sleeves of his haori and jumped back up in his tree to make sure nothing harmful was headed in their direction after hearing the commotion he had just caused.

All members now fully awake, Kagome and Sango began preparations for breakfast. While the girls created a fire pit, the boys went in search of fish at a nearby stream. Within the hour, the girls had cooked some rice and the fish the boys brought back, and located pickled vegetables from Kagome's bag.

'Mom must have put those in there. I don't remember putting her special home-made variety in here' Kagome happily mused.

Soon after eating the group was on the move once more.

"Another fine day for shard hunting don't you agree?" Miroku asked no one in particular as he inched toward Sango.

"Don't even think about it Monk!" Sango warned with a glare and a tighter grip on Hiraikotsu.

"My dear Sango I don't know what you mean!" Miroku innocently protested.

"Other than Nirvana, Shards had better be the only thing those hands of yours search for today houshi-sama!" Sango threatened in a low tone.

With a sigh and a bow of the head Miroku relented…for the moment.

That's when Kagome decided to run interception by moving to block the monk when he got too close to the taijiya. 'Sango deserves a break. Besides with Inuyasha around I doubt Miroku would dare try anything perverted with me. Though I wonder how long it will take him to try again…I know he's going to as he's never been good at resisting certain temptations.'

As predicted, twenty minutes proved to be far too long of a break between attempts. Miroku fell back and maneuvered so that he was trailing behind the space between the two girls.

The whole time he failed to realize that Kagome and Sango moved on purpose and he had fallen into their trap.

'It's working' Miroku thought with glee. 'They don't suspect a thing!'

He thought he was right as the girls were still happily chatting away and didn't appear to notice his obvious change in location and proximity.

Miroku's cursed hand advanced, but just when he thought he was in the clear, a fist came out of nowhere and connected with the monk's cranium.

A feral growl was then heard before Inuyasha all but barked, "Keep your hands off Kagome!"

Quickly working to diffuse the volatile situation Miroku donned his 'innocent' face and put his hands palm side up in a placating manner as he voiced his thoughts. "I wasn't going to touch Kagome!"

"Like I'm supposed to believe that? Your wandering hand is on your right and Kagome was on your right!" Inuyasha bellowed.

"It's not what it looks like. Really!" Miroku added in his defense.

Figuring the monk couldn't be trusted, Inuyasha grabbed the back of his robes and hauled him ahead of the girls to walk alongside him.

"Stay where I can see you monk." Inuyasha threatened with a growl.

To that Sango let out a sigh of relief. Kagome simply smiled and whispered a "Thank-you Inuyasha" just loud enough for the hanyou to hear.

The mood between the girls considerably lighter, both heaved a small sigh of relief. Sango and Kagome resumed their earlier conversation that ranged from shard hunting to the subjects in school Kagome favored.

Resumed that is until Kagome got a strange feeling. An uneasiness settled in the pit of her stomach just before the hair on the nape of her neck began to stand on end. After another second, a tingling sensation crept over her from head to toe. This signal could mean only one thing; more than one jewel shard was quickly drawing near.

"Kouga." Kagome whispered.

Having heard her whisper, Inuyasha was instantly on alert for the telltale tornado. Having located the direction of the ookami, Inuyasha jumped in front of Kagome.

'So…the mangy ookami decided to come back and try to kidnap Kagome again eh? At least his timing is good. I've been itching for a fight and he'll just have to do.' Inuyasha thought while wearing a menacing grin and cracking his knuckles in preparation.

Meanwhile, Kouga detected a significant increase in the intensity of Kagome's scent which caused him to slow down a bit as he was getting close; after all, he didn't want to whip dirt into her eyes, or worse, run her over.

"Kagome!" he shouted in greeting upon sighting her while at the same time prompting Inuyasha to growl even louder than before.

"Outta' my way mutt! I don't have time for another training session with you puppy! Besides, you never learn anyway so what's the point?" Kouga taunted before going to shove Inuyasha aside.

The hanyou quickly grabbed the offending appendage and twisted it behind Kouga's back. This put the hanyou face to face with the wolf demon.

"If anyone is a slow learner or in need of a training session it's you Kouga! How many times do I have to tell you baka? Kagome is not coming with you! When's that fact gonna' get through your thick skull? Will another defeat finally drive the point home?" Inuyasha all but barked at his opponent.

Needless to say with all the threatening eye contact between the two canine youkai, the once verbal fight inevitably escalated into a growling and lip curling competition. When neither opponent gave in Koga broke the stare and sighed with boredom.

"As if you could ever defeat me inukkoro!" Kouga shouted before breaking the hanyou's hold and leaping back a few feet. He quickly lunged towards Inuyasha immediately after.

The two were a blur of motion with fists and feet flying in every direction. Inuyasha landed a particularly hard right hook to Kouga's jaw which sent the wolf demon flying a good distance. Shaking it off, he launched himself back at Inuyasha, right foot first.

Having predicted the move, Inuyasha grabbed his opponent's foot, twisted, and threw him off to the side. Kouga retaliated with a few good punches to Inuyasha's head and torso that sent the hanyou staggering back a few feet with a dazed expression that he quickly recovered from.

However, the situation intensified when Inuyasha began using his claws to swipe at Kouga in powerful strokes; one connecting and gashing Kouga's abdomen. Kouga gripped his stomach with one arm before jumping back a short distance from Inuyasha; the wolf then proceeded to growl in annoyance.

"That all you got mutt? You're pretty pathetic you know."

"I was holding back to give you a chance at a fair fight! Kami knows you need all the help you can get lest you run off again you coward!" Inuyasha snapped back.

At this time Kagome noticed a slight change in Inuyasha; his eyes were developing a slightly crimson hue and the bluish-purple streaks were beginning to appear in the area of his cheekbones.

'I have to do something before Inuyasha transforms and actually kills Kouga this time.' Kagome thought in a panic.

Inuyasha was airborne when the order came, "Inuyasha, Sit!" Kagome all but screamed.

Needless to say, the hanyou was face down in a crater six inches in depth milliseconds after the command came from Kagome's lips. Said hanyou was growling, clearly letting everyone within earshot know how angry he was at being subdued, and how irritated he was to have his fight interrupted.

"Kouga, I suggest you get out of here as soon as possible!" Kagome advised.

Kouga was surprised when Kagome issued her order. For the first time in awhile, he was enjoying the fight! However, he quickly pulled himself together and went over to her.

"Kagome, how am I ever going to beat Inuyasha and prove to you that I am worthy of you if these fights keep ending prematurely?"

Clearly embarrassed and at a lack of words, Kagome merely gaped at him.

Kouga grabbed her hands before he sighed and continued. Ever concerned for her well-being, he asked, "Are you sure you will be ok with that mutt? He seems pretty angry…he won't come after you right?"

"Thank-you for your concern Kouga, it's really sweet. I assure you, we'll be fine. But if you don't get moving now I cannot say the same for you." came Kagome's response. Of course, there was a "sit" thrown in there as Inuyasha's spell began to wear off.

"Until we meet again then. See you later Kagome!" the wolf demon prince replied as he began jogging off.

'Crisis averted for now' Kagome thought with a sigh of relief. Her relief was short lived when her favorite hanyou's spell wore off.

"What the HELL was that for Wench??" he all but roared at her.

But Kagome was ready for this kind of response. She merely blinked at him for a moment before calmly explaining herself.

"Inuyasha, the new moon is fast approaching. You can't afford to be injured while in that condition. Not to mention that we don't have hours to waste while you fight with Kouga."

"Keh!" Inuyasha all but spat as he crossed his arms and roughly shoved his hands into the sleeves of his haori.

"You said it yourself not too long ago, we have to get to the next village quickly. We're already on a time crunch for your information! The rumor of shards in the next village is already more than three days old." Kagome continued her explanation unfazed.

"You're just trying to distract me from being angry with you! Stupid explanations aren't gonna' work this time Kagome!" He all but snarled at her.

"I understand you're mad at me and it's perfectly justified. But, you have to realize that we don't know if the demon is still even in the area. What happens if he's gone huh? You'll be even angrier if the creature escaped with shards right? What happens if he's still lurking in the area of the village but he's in hiding? We sure don't want to fight the demon when you're human if he is still around. I am sure he would be able to scent you and then notice when you turn human; then he could capitalize on your weakness and attack us all. So let's not waste time arguing and just get going already. We can resolve this issue later." Kagome added an exasperated huff to further her point.

"Fine!" Inuyasha bit at her before walking away from the group. Figuring that they were on their way once more, the group quickly followed after the irate hanyou.

His pace was much faster than normal, if not faster than ever before. The group was rushing to keep up with him, and for the next few hours, they were only able to catch glimpses of him far up ahead. Clearly he was in more than just a foul mood.

When they all were able to regroup, it was a little after dusk. The place where they had stopped was in a small clearing guarded by the mountains behind them and a forest in front of and around them. Obviously, Inuyasha had picked out this place for the group to set up camp for the night. Of course, a few fallen trees here and there let the group know that their friend had not found this place but instead had created it by viciously hacking trees down in an attempt to control and vent some of his anger. This time, it had been in a constructive way.

The village that they were trying to get to was barely within sight through a path long ago carved through the trees. It would probably take an hour or so to reach the next morning.

A quick meal of 21st century goods was prepared and eaten in near silence. Exhausted from the day's journey, everyone but the inu-hanyou settled in for the night. Said hanyou was up in another tree a short distance from the group.

He was looking forward into the darkness mentally preparing for their arrival in the village and the fight that would most definitely occur and yield several of the shards they were actively seeking.

'This demon is most definitely feline from the reports we have gotten. It's pretty big too; I think Kagome said the woman who saw it stated it was bigger than Kirara. It's gonna' be a challenge tomorrow. I have to think of a strategy in case my usual methods fail. Sango said all feline youkai are not only skilled fighters, but impossibly clever too. She said that the leopard kinds make Sesshoumaru look like a puppy by comparison.'

That's when a mumble from a sleeping Kagome disrupted Inuyasha. He decided to move in closer and see if he could gather any information as to what she was dreaming about.

**Kagome's Dream:**

This dream started out exactly as the one before it had with Kaede and Kagome in the field behind Kaede's garden. The two women were clearly engaged in a lesson to teach Kagome how to cast barriers of different kinds.

"…and that child is how ye would cast a barrier around sound. With slight modification, even one's speech may become inaudible even to a demon's sharp ears." Kaede finished her demonstration with an explanation of what had just occurred.

"Now Kagome, ye may give the barrier a try."

'Here goes nothing!' Kagome thought before bowing her head and closing her eyes in concentration. Her hands came together with her palms and fingers in close contact, and her brow furrowed as her role in altering the barrier became more active.

As usual, a soft 'pop' could be heard. However, this time after the pop came a blinding white light and a much louder crackle of electricity. The next thing the dream Kagome became aware of was the fact that she was on her rear end and everything was oddly quiet. Kaede was nowhere to be seen.

"Wow! That's never happened before!" Kagome remarked as the pain in her backside was subsiding. "What was that?" She asked while seeking out her mentor. The reply came from inside the hut where the wise miko had retreated before the blast. As she spoke, Kaede was emerging from the hut.

"That Kagome was the barrier this old woman has been trying to teach ye. However, the both of us must work to help ye control it and even change it. That is enough for today. We shall resume our lesson tomorrow. Ye must rest and regenerate the spiritual power ye have depleted in today's exercise."

"So I did it?" Kagome asked unsure of herself.

"Yes ye certainly did. This old woman is very pleased with the progress ye have made."

"One more question. You said I need to learn to control it, which I definitely agree with, but what do you mean by change it?" Kagome questioned.

"This old woman merely meant that if ye so desire, other elements can be added to, taken away from, or modified slightly in any barrier or spell. Being able to master these two skills together is very important for all miko. The concepts ye will learn in future lessons can be applied to any barrier or spell that ye decide to cast and this old woman assures ye that this skill is absolutely essential."

"What kind of elements are we talking about? I don't get it! What do you mean by absolutely essential? Essential to what?" The dream Kagome asked clearly confused.

"That question cannot be answered as of yet Kagome. But what this old woman can tell ye is that…." And with that Kaede began to fade from sight and her voice trailed off.

"Wait! Come back!" Kagome beseeched. Before the dream Kagome knew it, Kaede had vanished and all that remained was a black void.

**End of Dream**

Back in the waking world, Inuyasha was observing the sleeping Kagome and noting what he could about her. 'Hmm. Her heart is beating faster than normal and she's breathing faster too. She must be having a bad dream again. I'll have to ask her about that tomorrow before we get going. Maybe I'll get her up first and try to talk to her before I wake the others. I just have to figure out a way to get her up that won't startle her again."

As he was thinking, Kagome was entering the part of her dream where she was casting her barrier. Consequently in the waking world, she jumped slightly and uttered a muffled short scream of surprise as the barrier in her dream was being cast and actually worked. Her jump and scream had startled the hanyou as well. Inuyasha had jumped back in momentary surprise before he recovered and sat down beside her again.

'Gah! What the heck was that for?!? Wench scared the crap out of me!' He groused.

Aside from this she was relatively still until the end of the dream where she woke with a start and seemed disoriented for a moment. Getting her bearings again she relaxed and began to think through the dream, oblivious to the twice scared hanyou who was now up in the safety of his tree.

'Ok, so I got a bit farther into the dream this time and now I know that the ability to cast a barrier around sound and either add to or subtract from it is as important as learning how to control it. Maybe this is a metaphor for something else in my life? Or is this a skill that Kaede's trying to teach me through my dreams? Does that mean I have to practice this on my own? If so, where am I supposed to begin? What do I do if I can't control it? How do I undo it if I need to?' Kagome's thoughts raced.

Speaking softly to herself Kagome stated, "Ugh! This is giving me a headache! There's no point trying to sort it out this late at night. I'll have to think harder on this tomorrow. Who knows? Maybe tonight or at least tomorrow night will show me even more of the dream. I better get back to sleep then." With that Kagome settled into her sleeping bag once more and slowly drifted off into the land of dreams.

**End of Chapter Two!**

I hope you all have enjoyed this chapter! Please let me know what you thought of it…if you have any ideas you think would work well for the next chapter….and if you have any guesses as to what kind of barrier Kagome will be creating! Stay tuned for chapter three!

LadySword04


	3. In Search of the Leopard Youkai

**Author's Note:** So it looks like my plot to get ideas and reviews failed miserably the last chapter. Oh well…I'll just have to think of something else to do to get reviews! Hope you enjoyed the last chapter and that you will really like this one. I admit that it is shorter than the last ones, and doesn't' have as much action, but at least it's something right? I am trying to decide if I should continue this fic as it's not getting a lot of attention…what do you all think? The number of hits and reviews will help me decide…

The next chapter will have the epic battle with the leopard youkai, and a lot more action. Hang in there with me!

**Disclaimer:** The standard disclaimer applies. I only own the plot, though I wish I owned the series! Any attempt to capture and lay claim to the show or its characters has so far been met with utter failure…

**Chapter Three: In Search of The Leopard Youkai**

Inuyasha had returned once more to the relative safety of the highest branches of the tree he had chosen to spend his night in. From this height, he could see the village that they would be walking to in the morning. Taking a longer look, the mountains that surrounded the village as well as the vast amount of land that the forest spanned could also be observed.

Wanting to reassure himself that his pack and his favorite miko-in-training were alright, Inuyasha let his gaze pass over each of the humans. He started with Sango, who was the farthest away from his position.

She was on her right side, facing out into the forest as if on guard for anything that might attack. She was curled slightly around a kitten sized Kirara who was currently resting against the taijiya's abdomen. Both were resting on a lavender colored foam mat with a rubber backing that Kagome brought back specifically for them.

Spotting the mat brought a few thoughts to Inuyasha. '_So much like Kagome. She's always thinking of others. She noticed that Sango's traveling clothes got soaked that one time when we slept outdoors the night after a nasty rainstorm and she didn't want that to happen to her again_.' Inuyasha thought with a smile.

Her kindness seemed to be limitless and this fact did not escape the hanyou observing the group.

**FLASHBACK**

The group had just finished exorcising a snake demon from a local village when a rain storm had made an appearance. Lacking a spiritual leader or miko of their own, the villagers simply did not have the training, sutras, or ability to fight off the demon by themselves, even though the snake was not in possession of a shikon jewel shard. After spending a considerable amount of time preparing a burial site as well as conducting the necessary rituals to pacify the demon's soul, Miroku justifiably felt the need for a little repayment. As per his custom, Miroku decided to capitalize on their good deed by requesting lodging for the group that evening at one of the local inns.

Being the appreciative and polite people that they were, the villagers and the village headman agreed. However, that was not before Kagome insisted that Miroku at least create sutras for the villagers and teach the village headman how to create and use them to immobilize, or if need be, contain a youkai.

As dinner was being served to the group, the storm displayed its full power complete with pelting horizontal rain, hail the size of ice-cubes, and brilliant lightning. By morning, the storm had blown itself out and only a light drizzle remained. And, by the afternoon, the sun had finally parted the clouds and illuminated the earth once again.

With a final blessing and display of appreciation for the hospitality of the villagers, the group was once again setting out to find more jewel shards. By sundown, the group had begun to set up camp for the night.

While the rain had stopped and the day was both sunny and warm, it apparently was not sufficient to thoroughly dry the ground. The earth felt dry enough underneath their feet while they were walking and setting up camp so no-one bothered to think twice about their chosen camping spot.

However dry it felt to the soft press of a hand or the small weight of a bare foot, when one went to lie down for an extended period of time, a rather unpleasant surprise awaited him or her. The moisture trapped within the soil somehow found its way back out of the dirt and into the clothing of the person foolish enough to lie directly on it. Needless to say, Sango woke shortly after to find that her entire back was soaked and chilly.

Somehow, in her effort to remove her outer kimono and hang it up to dry, she had woken Shippo. His stirring and soft question had then woken Kagome. Having been recently woken up, Kagome was understandably a little slow to figure out what had woken her. However, when her gaze settled on Sango who was clad in her black taijiya outfit she immediately scanned the area for danger.

What she spotted instead was Sango's kimono hanging up and Kagome was then able to put two and two together. Realizing her friend's situation, Kagome insisted that the two girls spend some time in the nearby hot spring to warm up and keep Sango from getting sick.

'After all, cold is stressful for the body, and stress lowers the immune system.' She had mentioned. Without a perfectly functioning immune system, it would be impossible to fight off any infection and Sango could fall ill.

And, because of the late night bath, both girls had needed to sleep in the following morning, which had irritated the hanyou of the group to no end. While he was sympathetic on the inside and understood that a tired or sick team member was not an effective team member, he decided to display his trademark irritation on the outside. After all, empathizing with them was the equivalent to showing weakness; something a youkai and especially a hanyou can never afford to display.

**END FLASHBACK **

Pulling himself out of that memory, Inuyasha began his observations again. From his friends' breathing, Inuyasha could tell that both Sango and Kirara were lightly dozing. '_Even though they know I am keeping watch, both of them are trying to rest though stay ready for any potential attack. Kagome calls that state of light half-sleep "twilight' I think. Funny, she's prepared for a demon attack when what she should really be prepared for is that monk's wandering hand_.' Inuyasha thought with a smirk.

This thought led the hanyou to observe the monk next. Apparently, Miroku had somehow "gravitated" closer to Sango during the few hours that they had been asleep. Said monk was sleeping on his back, snoring lightly in a state of deep slumber. However, his earlier maneuvering had brought him only slightly out of arms reach from Sango's all but too tempting curves.

'_That monk will never learn_.' Inuyasha mused. '_He started out a good nine or ten feet from her, and now he's probably within four. Better move him before he tries anything and alerts this damn leopard youkai that we're here_.'

As soon as that thought crossed his mind, Inuyasha grabbed the perverted monk by the purple colored cloth covering his shoulders and dragged him a good ten feet away from Sango.

'_And to prevent him from causing anymore trouble, I'm gonna' put a tree between him and Sango too. Come to think of it, I should make sure he's visible from my tree. How funny would that be to see him cuddled up to the trunk of an oak thinking it's Sango he's cuddling?_' Inuyasha mentally laughed.

His task of relocating the monk and placing a barrier between him and Sango should the monk try again, Inuyasha's gaze strayed over to Kagome. She was lying on her left side facing out past the tree Inuyasha was sitting in. Looking a little closer, said hanyou couldn't help but smile and inwardly chuckle at seeing her covered up to her chin by her sleeping bag in an attempt to ward of the chill that often accompanies the night.

Little Shippou was barely visible as he had snuggled under her chin and was hugging her neck. All that could really be made out of him was the tuft of his reddish brown hair over the edge of the sleeping bag, and the bump that his small form created.

'_She really is quite beautiful even when she's sleeping_.' Inuyasha admitted to himself. After allowing his thoughts to wander so randomly, he decided to focus on what was to come the following day.

Most of the night after checking on Kagome had been spent both observing the mountains around the village and thinking of an attack strategy. The reason for his silent observation is that he was hoping to catch a glimpse of the youkai he would be fighting come day-break.

'_Kuso! I can't see anything on the mountain; not even shapes moving! There's not enough light for me to get any good details! How am I supposed to learn anything about them if I can't smell or even see them!?! I'm gonna' scout for any immediate danger then move in closer for a better view._' Inuyasha thought while frowning.

Using his superior sense of smell, he scouted the surrounding area for any sign of youkai nearby. Not finding any, he quickly took off toward the village.

'_I have to make this quick. The pack's safe for now, but I can't risk anything happening to them. And I have to stay up-wind of the mountains. Don't want those youkai scenting me then following me back to camp._'

Inuyasha was practically flying towards the village, constantly monitoring the direction of the wind and changing his position if necessary to remain undetected. Leaping into a tree at the forest's edge, he sat and fixed his senses on both the village and the mountains.

Almost immediately a foul stench reached his nose. Wrinkling said sensory organ in disgust he thought, '_This place reeks of dead animals! It smells like dead oxen, horses, chickens, rabbits, and mice. This thing went on a killing spree!_'

Stopping to scent the air, Inuyasha determined that the creature had only just recently left the village. Placing his nose to the ground, our favorite inu-hanyou began to track the elusive cat. The reason for this is so that his nose would be closer to the minute traces of sebaceous oil left by the glands on the bottom of the creature's paws and the both the fur and epithelials that this and all creatures shed when they move.

Having ascertained a direction, Inuyasha followed the trail out of the town and to the clearing at the foothills of the mountain. Not wanting to give himself away this early, he chose to move into the tree-line not too far from where he now was. From there, he simply used his nose and the breeze to get a general location of the youkai he sought.

Closing his eyes and folding his ears against his head, he focused all his concentration on the information his nose was sending him. '_Seems this cat is to my right and from what I can tell, so is its meal. Once it's done eating, I bet it will do its best to store the left-overs and dispose of any bones that would attract attention. This means that this youkai should be as far away from its den as possible._'

That's when Inuyasha caught a glimpse of the big cat through a small space between the rocks that the youkai was hiding behind. '_From what little I could see of it, this thing has to be bigger than Kirara! And what's worse is that it doesn't make a sound when it moves. Add that size, stealth, and cunning together and tomorrow is definitely gonna' be a battle I am sure to enjoy! I can't wait! Miroku can't use his wind tunnel as this creature has shards, it's too big for Shippou to even think about helping. So, that only leaves Kagome and Sango. The rocks that it can hide behind will render Kagome's arrows and Sango's Hiraikotsu totally useless. And Kirara's gonna' have to protect the group in the off chance that I can't protect Miroku, Sango or Shippou fast enough. Come to think of it, I'm going to have to keep one eye on the youkai and the other on Kagome. Even though Kirara and the others are tough fighters, I don't' fully trust them to keep Kagome from getting injured_.'

A large grin soon consumed the majority of Inuyasha's face when he reached the following conclusion. '_That means I get this thing all to myself tomorrow!' With that final thought, he raced back to "base camp" to ensure that his pack was still, and would remain, safe for the remainder of the night. _

Once back at camp, Inuyasha checked over each member of his group to ensure that they had not come to harm in the half an hour or so that he had been away. Starting with Kagome, he took in that she was still sleeping if her even and rhythmical breathing was any indication. Looking next at Miroku, Inuyasha had to stifle his laughter lest he end up howling with it. As he had earlier predicted, the monk had moved once more in his sleep. He was currently resting up against the tree Inuyasha had left him close to earlier that evening and he was physically hugging the tree's trunk. Training his ears on said monk, Inuyasha could make out that Miroku was indeed dreaming of Sango. Once he could compose himself again, Inuyasha then took in Sango and Kirara. The two of them did not appear to have been disturbed as they were both in relatively the same position and their breathing was also fairly regular.

After reassuring himself that all was fine with the members of his group, he turned his attention to the surrounding woods. He quickly scanned the forest for any signs of danger in the form of youkai intent on hurting them. Finding nothing of the sort, he summoned his hanyou strength and leapt into the high branch that he had chosen to sleep in that night. He listened to the sounds of the forest creatures for a time before he let himself fall into a light slumber. While he would never admit it out loud, he was rather tired. When one factored in that he had fought numerous demons, gotten little to no sleep the past few nights, traveled a great distance, and he was going to be human the following evening, understandably, the result is one tired inu-hanyou. Kagome had miscalculated the night of the new moon; something that is relatively easy to do when all that remains is a sliver of the waning crescent that looks like by the next night will entirely disappear.

While sleep had found him relatively quickly, it was not meant to last for long as a sound roused him to a state of awareness. The sound was oddly similar to the ones he had been hearing the past few nights now. He connected the sound to Kagome and figured she must be having another nightmare. Casting his gaze in her direction, he observed her.

'She's frowning in her sleep. Her brows are really close together and her mouth is drawn up tight. Whatever she's dreaming, it must not be pleasant for her to be so agitated. The sounds she's making are roughly the same as they were last night. I wonder if she's having the same nightmare play over and over each of the past two nights and now tonight? If that's true, then maybe she's got something she has to work through. I wonder if my interruptions the past few nights have prevented her from figuring out what she needs to figure out. So, if I let her dream this nightmare of hers to completion, maybe whatever it is that needs to be revealed to her will finally show itself. Yeah, that's what I'm gonna' do. I will have to ask her about it tomorrow night though. For once, maybe being a human will finally help me. She has said that it's easier for her to really open up and talk to me about more "sensitive" issues when I am a human; it must be all those stupid human "hormones" and emotions."

After having come to the conclusion that he would watch her and talk to her about her dreams the following night, he trained an ear on her and let himself fall into a light slumber once more.

**Author's End Notes: **

Thanks so much for reading! Please leave me a review if you can! I really appreciate it!

LadySword04


	4. Into the Leopard's Den

**Author's Note****: **I just wanted to say Thank-You to everyone that has read this story!! This story received an unprecedented number of hits last chapter…somewhere in the ballpark of 200!! I guess that means you want me to continue ne? If so, will you leave me a review? ^_^ The lack of reviews is making me feel so unloved! T_T

And now, On to the Action!

**Disclaimer****: **The standard disclaimer applies here. I am only manipulating the characters of Inuyasha to suit my needs and entertain you all!

**Chapter Four: Into the Leopard's Den**

After having the same dream yet again that night, Kagome was wide awake in her sleeping bag while her mind raced. Her eyelids were closed simply because she was beyond tired and they were so very hard to keep open. To an observer, she would have appeared asleep, but there was plenty of activity going on behind her closed eyelids.

To say that Kagome's dream that night had been a pleasant one would be nothing short of a bold faced lie. It seemed as though her dream was set on constant repeat mode, and Kagome was desperately searching for the stop button. Her dream kept playing over and over these past few nights, and would not permit her the pleasure of a full night's rest. Needless to say, our favorite young miko was quickly tiring of the game her mind insisted on playing with her. Even dream Kagome was getting irritated!

Whatever her psyche was trying to show her, she clearly was not grasping; had she caught on, surely the dream would have stopped right? But unfortunately for her, because she just did not understand, this skill was tormenting her mentally. If she was not dreaming about it, she was thinking about it during the day. Oftentimes, the scenes would flash before her eyes as if taunting her, in much the same manner as the water and fruit branches continue to tease Tantalus.

Consequently, while they traveled, she would pour over the facts and little information that she did have, and try to puzzle out their meanings. Was this skill symbolic of their quest? Or maybe about her life back home?

She could not help but admit that the similarities were uncanny. Day after day this dream plagued her and she was slow to make any progress. All she knew was that the skill involved miko barriers and manipulating them. She had help from Kaede, but it seemed that any progress she made was overshadowed by the fact that there was something else to learn and her task was far from complete.

In a sense, it was like their battle with Naraku. For years now, they had been fighting with the evil hanyou and trying to collect shards of the shikon no tama. However, the harder they searched for Naraku's hiding place, the more he barricaded himself and the farther away he got. Over the period of time that they had been hunting the hanyou, his skills at avoiding and hiding from them had only improved. Even a nose as honed as Inuyasha's was unable to detect the location of the hanyou they were seeking.

And, her mind couldn't help but add, that even Sesshoumaru, who possesses all the sharp senses of a full demon, was just as unsuccessful at locating the vermin known as Naraku.

Not to mention the fact that Naraku was constantly "out foxing" them at every turn. The most recent incarnation of Hakudoshi was proof enough. And, it seemed that for every shard they gained, something was waiting to steal their hard earned prize from them. Be it Naraku, one of his incarnations, or some other power hungry being, facts are facts; the group couldn't hold onto more than a few shards at a time, and the likelihood that they would complete the jewel of four souls was constantly slipping further and further out of their grasp.

Her dream was also like her life at home. Since middle school, she had to struggle to make sure that her grandfather's story and her own matched, lest she plant the seeds in someone's mind that one of the Higurashi's was not being completely honest. If that happened, the school would be sure to launch a full investigation, and there would be no telling what would happen with that.

Her schoolwork was a second battle. She would have to spend almost every free minute she had while at home playing catch-up with her work. However, no matter how hard she tried, she felt like she was slipping behind. Even with the agreement she and Inuyasha had this past semester, her education continued to suffer. Because concepts in high school build upon those learned and supposedly mastered in middle school, Kagome was on shaky ground at best. Her middle school years had been consumed with shard hunting as the primary objective, and her schoolwork was forced into taking a back seat.

Understandably, when it came time to apply certain concepts, she was at a loss. What further frustrated her was the fact that she required a private tutor a few days a week. Her tutor was fantastic, don't get her wrong, but needing someone to "fill in" her educational "gaps" was irritating at best. After all, no one likes to have their shortcomings pointed out to them. Additionally, it was annoying that the list of concepts she had not fully mastered only seemed to grow no matter how much she worked at it.

So was her dream then telling her to give up? Or maybe keep fighting, even though victory was not certain at this point? Could there be something else she was overlooking?

_Maybe her mind was teasing her that she would never be as good as Kikyou_.

That had to be it! Sure, Kagome had some training and was a powerful miko in her own right. But when compared to Kikyou, her skills were but a pale imitation. Kikyou was this paragon that Kagome was forever striving to emulate. She often felt like a child when around the epitome of mikos; childish in a sense that while she had skills, hers were by far inferior. As great as she had become over the years, Kagome got the feeling that she would never be on Kikyou's level.

Consequently, she felt like a fifth grader in art class who was infinitely proud of the painting they had created, only to have their cheerful attitude ruined once they realized that their work was outclassed by that of their peers.

This line of thinking left her feeling empty and depressed, so she decided to try another avenue of thought.

Was this dream trying to give her a message about how to defeat Naraku once and for all? If so, how would a barrier constructed by an inexperienced young miko be able to destroy or at least contain such a vile creature? At her wits end, Kagome decided to end her question session before she caused herself to spiral out of control into a depressed state.

"There has to be something else that I am not seeing! What could it possibly be?" Kagome growled under her breath before emitting a frustrated sigh.

"Maybe if I play this dream over again in my mind's eye, I will find what I am looking for." she reasoned.

"The dream was like the others before it, but I did get a little bit more information. Maybe I overlooked a seemingly insignificant detail." Kagome thought.

"It's not like I am going to be able to sleep after having that dream again, and we're going to have to wake up soon anyway. The sun is just starting to rise over the mountains now and the sky is considerably lighter. I might as well use this time to think." With a final huff, Kagome snuggled into the depths of her sleeping bag so that she could replay her dream.

**Kagome's Day Dream:**

The dream started out exactly as the ones before it had with Kaede and Kagome in the field behind Kaede's garden. The two women were engaged in a lesson to teach Kagome how to cast barriers of different kinds.

"…and that child is how ye would cast a barrier around sound. With slight modification, even one's speech may become inaudible even to a demon's sharp ears." Kaede finished her demonstration with an explanation of what had just occurred.

"Now Kagome, ye may give the barrier a try."

'Here goes nothing!' Kagome thought before bowing her head and closing her eyes in concentration. Her hands came together with her palms and fingers in close contact, and her brow furrowed as her role in altering the barrier became more active.

As usual, a soft 'pop' could be heard. However, this time after the pop came a blinding white light and a much louder crackle of electricity. The next thing the dream Kagome became aware of was the fact that she was on her rear end and everything was oddly quiet. Kaede was nowhere to be seen.

"Wow! That's never happened before!" Kagome remarked as the pain in her backside was subsiding. "What was that?" She asked while seeking out her mentor. The reply came from inside the hut where the wise miko had retreated before the blast. As she spoke, Kaede was emerging from the hut.

"That Kagome was the barrier this old woman has been trying to teach ye. However, the both of us must work to help ye control it and even change it. That is enough for today. We shall resume our lesson tomorrow. Ye must rest and regenerate the spiritual power ye have depleted in today's exercise."

"So I did it?" Kagome asked unsure of herself.

"Yes ye certainly did. This old woman is very pleased with the progress ye have made."

"One more question. You said I need to learn to control it, which I definitely agree with, but what do you mean by change it?" Kagome questioned.

"This old woman merely meant that if ye so desire, other elements can be added to, taken away from, or modified slightly in any barrier or spell. Being able to master these two skills together is very important for all miko. The concepts ye will learn in future lessons can be applied to any barrier or spell that ye decide to cast and this old woman assures ye that this skill is absolutely essential."

"What kind of elements are we talking about? I don't get it! What do you mean by absolutely essential? Essential to what?" The dream Kagome asked clearly confused.

The only addition that Kagome could conjure up was the old miko's extended reply.

"Whatever your heart desires child! Ye may cast a barrier to prevent others from hearing ye. Or, ye may cast a barrier to protect those that ye wish to defend. Ye may even physically reach into barriers that others have already cast, then alter them to suit the needs that ye have at the time. The possibilities are limited only by one's imagination." Kaede regarded her with a warm but wise smile as she finished her speech. After a slight pause, the aged miko continued.

"But for right now child, it is important for ye to master this skill and learn to control it. The reason for the massive explosion from earlier is that ye have the spiritual power required, but the amount used was far too great for ye to control just yet. In later lessons, we will work together to help ye control both the flow and amount of spiritual energy used on smaller barriers. After that, this old woman will assist ye in creating and controlling larger barriers that ye can someday use to protect entire villages."

Again, the wise miko paused to allow the information to register in Kagome's mind, and to allow the young miko-in-training time to ask questions about the information heard thus far. When Kagome remained silent, Kaede began speaking once more.

"To answer the second question ye have asked, the skills combined will allow ye to fight and survive. This way, Kagome, ye can become a valuable asset in battle." With this, Kaede finished her speech with another smile.

Kagome couldn't help but sense there was more the kind miko wanted to say, so she paused to let her continue. When the silence remained, Kagome couldn't help but let her mind wander. She turned introspective in an instant.

"Kaede knows I think of myself as a hindrance in battle. I am always the one that the others have to protect. I would like very much to someday return the favor and protect my friends from harm. This barrier work she wishes me to learn seems like the way to achieve my goal."

Before dream Kagome knew it, Kaede gradually began to fade away into the void of the dream world as Kagome continued to think.

**End Dream**

"I know there's some subtle detail in there that I keep missing. Kaede-obaachan did mention that I had to control the amount of spiritual energy I put into the barrier I cast, that way it will be easier to control. Now that I have done it in my dreams, maybe I can start small and work my way up while I am awake and practicing. The only problem is _How_ I am going to control the flow of my spiritual energy?"

"When I shoot my arrows, I never have to think about it as the amount I need flows into them. Maybe this barrier does that too? So just don't think about it and it will happen? No. That can't be right. I wasn't thinking about that in the dream and the barrier was out of control. Maybe I did not know what to expect or how much to use and that's why so much energy was put into the barrier? So maybe this time, now a little wiser, it will just happen?"

"Well, whatever the case, tomorrow, after we defeat this leopard youkai, I will have to get over my fear and try and create the barrier in the waking world. Maybe that's what I have to do. This dream is a lesson, and because I haven't mastered it yet, it will keep playing until I finally do. I think I've figured this puzzle out!" She couldn't help but allow a satisfied smirk from playing on her lips.

While all of this had been going on, Inuyasha was but a silent observer. Shining amber eyes glowed from behind a shield of green leaves as he watched Kagome. While he did want to go and make sure she was alright, he fought the urge until it relented and let him be. '_She has to work through this on her own, remember?_' He berated himself.

However, he still couldn't help but worry about her and what it was that had her so unsettled these past few nights. His attention was constantly on the young miko and his inner battle continued until she was moving around the campsite in her usual morning routine. After all, the smell of food was more than enough to dispel his worries and divert his attention.

In the time just after sunrise, the group was awake and in the process of creating the morning meal. As it was daytime and staying hidden from the creatures of the forest was no longer a priority, the group allowed themselves the luxury of a campfire and a warm meal. And where there's a campfire and warm food, there's also ramen; and with ramen comes a happy hanyou.

The aforementioned hanyou was up a tree with his favorite food; no doubt in an attempt to enjoy it and ensure he got his fair share of the delectable noodles without being pestered by Shippou. He had long ago learned that sitting on the ground made him an easy target for the little fox.

Shippou's skills at sneaking up on him without drawing his attention until the last possible second had improved significantly since he had joined the group. Therefore, sitting up high in a tree with the trunk to his back was his best defense. Even when a being is trying to be quiet while climbing a tree, the tell-tale sounds of nails scraping bark was a dead give-away that could not be silenced. This meant that Shippou couldn't sneak up on the hanyou and Inuyasha would have enough of a lead to either hastily finish his meal or run with it before the kitsune youkai could catch him.

However, this fear was unwarranted as the young kitsune had his own cup of ramen and was quite comfortable sitting on Kagome's lap as she conversed with the rest of the group. Of course the reward of pocky after breakfast helped to ensure that the kitsune was on his best behavior.

Kagome found it much easier for everyone if she kept Inuyasha and Shippou separate at meal times. Inuyasha did not get so upset, poor little Shippou did not receive numerous blows to the head for his cute but irritating antics, and Kagome was not stuck in the middle debating whether to discipline Shippou or 'Sit' Inuyasha; the situation was therefore agreeable to everyone.

As for the conversation between the humans that morning, the primary focus was on strategies for taking down the youkai. Sango was consulted for her expert advice. Having a neko youkai for a companion and having fought several leopard type youkai in her earlier demon slaying days did make her an expert on the subject after all. Besides, any input Kirara added had to be interpreted, and only Sango could fully decipher her friend's various forms of communication.

Sango's advice was therefore crucial for a successful outcome. As of late, the group had been talking about strategy more often before battles as they had learned from their encounter with the badger youkai that doing their research paid off huge dividends. No one sustained injuries, they were successful, and they avoided detection from other demons in the area.

After a bit of discussion, the group reached a similar conclusion that Inuyasha had come to almost a day earlier; this fight would once again fall primarily to Inuyasha. Miroku realized his wind tunnel would be of minimal aid. Kagome recognized her arrows would be useless, and Sango admitted that Hiraikotsu would also be ineffective. So once again, they were there to play back-up should Inuyasha need it.

And that was when Kagome got an idea. "Hey Sango! Do you think catnip would be effective against this youkai? I mean, Kirara seems to love it and is certainly more than distracted when it is around. Is the same true for leopard youkai?"

"Honestly Kagome, we have tried it on them, but for some reason or other it only affects them for a minute, maybe two at most. And, there have been cases where the herb is completely ineffective." Sango added.

"Well that makes sense. I guess that once the cat gets used to it, the brain no longer registers it as a novel stimulus and the response ceases. For a cat that relies heavily on its sense of smell, filtering out and ignoring scents that are not a threat or related to food would be pretty important." Kagome thoughtfully added.

As if struck by something, Sango jumped before she hastily added in a piece of vital information.

"I just remembered a case my father once told me about. A few men from another Taijiya village farther to the north of mine were out hunting a tiger youkai. This case occurred a few years before I was born, but I think I remember the details well enough from the story my father told me, to tell you about it. What I remember most is that these demon slayers decided to use valerian, which is similar to catnip, on the creature, which unfortunately had disastrous results." Sango paused for a moment to collect the rest of her story and put it into words. After a brief pause, she continued again.

"The only survivor of the hunt told a grisly tale. He mentioned that in the first minute, the plant seemed to catch the attention of the big cat and turn it into a playful and purring mass of fur. However, this wore off just as the men were closing in for the attack. Their maneuvering was still underway when the tides turned against them. The man stated that he did not know what triggered it, but suddenly the tiger stopped playing and instead became enraged and extremely aggressive. It first targeted the taijiya who had carried the herb. When it had the slayer in its jaws, it swiftly retreated into the tree line."

Unsure as to whether or not she should continue the tale, Sango looked to both Kagome and Miroku for any indication. Kagome was giving her a sympathetic look while Miroku seemed to be thinking. Most likely he was hoping the victim had not suffered and that the man's body was given a proper burial.

Finding that no one was asking her to stop, Sango continued her story.

"Following tiger behavior, this tiger remained extremely aggressive as it guarded the victim. A few of the less experienced demon slayers rushed to save their comrade not realizing that nothing could be done. Even working together, they were unable to defeat the tiger, and lost their lives as well. My memory of the tale gets less detailed from here I am afraid." Sango hesitantly remarked.

"What else happened? Were the demon slayers successful at killing the tiger?" Kagome asked because she sensed that her friend needed some feedback to show that her audience was still listening.

Sango took that as consent to finish her story.

"The rest of the party hung back to wait for many hours before the tiger emerged from the forest again. The remaining taijiya fought it for several more hours before they were victorious. Two more taijiya were killed in the battle, and three more succumbed to their injuries while traveling back to their village." Sango trailed off in terms of volume as she concluded her tale. When it was finished, she looked down at the hands that had somehow folded themselves together atop her lap during her story.

Once the tale had concluded, the group was silent for a time. During this period of silence, Kagome thought on what she had been told. She realized why the taijiya had succumbed to their injuries.

'_The demon slayers that were injured were most likely patched up in a nearby village. But cat's mouths are laden with numerous strains of bacteria. When the cat bites someone, their teeth act like hypodermic needles that inject the bacteria into the wound they create. Those men most likely died from septicemia while they were returning to their village. It's so sad that they survived the battle only to die from a raging bacterial infection. If they had antibiotics here those warriors would have made a full recovery_.' A frown marred her features as she thought about this. The others in the group were silent as well, more than likely absorbed in their own thoughts.

Kagome was first to break the silence. "That's a terrible story. I am sorry that it happened and that you had to suffer while telling it to us. But I am glad that you did. We can learn from their mistakes and avoid making them. I did bring some catnip from home, and even though I have some in my bag right now, I promise not to use it in this fight."

"Better yet Kagome-sama, you should consider leaving it behind in the off chance that this leopard youkai gets into your back-pack. From the story, it doesn't sound wise to have it anywhere near this cat." Miroku added.

"Sounds like a good idea to me." Kagome stated. "As soon as we get going, I will find a place and bury it."

Miroku then decided to ask Sango a question. "Sango, you mentioned that the taijiya were successful. While I want to avoid the details, do you think we would have an easier time fighting this youkai when it has a full stomach?"

Inuyasha quickly piped up. "I sure as hell am not feeding this cat! Besides, it already ate last night. I doubt it will be hungry for anything else anytime soon. Let's get going already!" He ended with an irritable growl as well as a stern expression in an attempt to hurry the group along.

With that statement, the group packed up their things with practiced ease, and got ready to head out. Kagome made a final sweep to make sure that they had not left anything behind and chose a spot to bury the catnip. She enlisted Inuyasha's digging skills to aid her in this task. When the herb was safely beneath six inches of dirt, the group began the short trek to the village.

Needless to say, after a meal of ramen and on the way to a battle he was sure to enjoy, Inuyasha's spirits were quite high. Not even the looming threat of being human that night could put a damper on his good mood.

'_Out of sight, out of mind as the saying goes_.' He mused.

By mid-morning, the village was only yards away. For all appearances, it was a ghost town. There were no animals moving about, no children playing, and no adults going about their daily tasks.

"Hello?" Kagome ventured. "Is anyone still here?"

After a few more tries, Kagome decided to give up.

"I don't think we are going to find anyone here Kagome. It looks like the villagers set their animals loose and escaped with what they could." Sango informed her friend.

When Kagome took another look, Sango's story made sense. The gates on all the fences were wide open and the doors to the chicken houses were ajar. Reed mats that hung over doorways were partially if not completely ripped from where they hung. And most of the huts had various possessions left; mostly large furniture and luxury items. It was clear that great haste was made to escape the village.

"From the looks of it, this is a small farming village. They most likely lacked the training and ability to fight this demon off so they fled." Miroku supplied.

"Will you guys quit exploring already? We have a job to do! The sooner we kill this thing, the sooner we can get on the trail of the next shards."

'_And the sooner that the villagers can be informed that their town is now safe to inhabit once again. Hopefully not too much of their growing season has been lost or they will suffer this winter._' Kagome thought.

As they moved towards the foothills of the mountains, the conversation remained on the village and their plight.

"I wonder what would have caused them to flee now?" Kagome questioned.

"What do you mean?" Sango asked clearly confused.

"Well, for a demon to get to that size, it must be quite old. Leopards are solitary cats and typically establish home territories at a young age. Throughout their lives, they will fight to keep their territory. So, this cat has been here for years at the very least. I wonder why it just recently started attacking the villagers?" Kagome continued.

"It's possible that the leopard exhausted its food supply up in the mountains and has to resort to killing farm animals to sustain itself." Sango responded.

"Maybe it's injured." Kagome added thoughtfully.

"Good point. Usually when an animal has a significant injury, it compromises its ability to hunt its natural prey so it has to resort to easier animals if it wants to stay alive." Sango mentioned.

"Then we all have to be extremely careful with this cat. Injured animals are typically on the defensive and are more aggressive than normal. If this situation was not good before this information, it's only gotten exponentially worse. We're all in danger here." Miroku chimed in.

"Oh quit whining already!" Inuyasha barked at the monk. "I've got this covered. You _humans_ just stay back and keep out of my way. This should be over soon." the hanyou confidently boasted.

With that, Inuyasha turned towards the mountain and the battle that was sure to follow shortly after his arrival.

Concerned, Kagome caught his attention. "Inuyasha! Be careful! Feline youkai are ambush predators!"

Ignoring the remainder of the group, Inuyasha addressed her. "Thanks Kagome. I'll be fine. You stay here with Miroku and Sango." His voice was soft as were his eyes as he spoke to her.

Then, turning towards the monk and taijiya he spoke in a louder tone. "Keep an eye on her. Kirara, if things get bad, I expect you to get Kagome out of here."

With that, he turned his attention back onto the mountains and sprinted off to face the latest opponent.

**MEANWHILE…with the Leopard Youkai**

Unbeknownst to the Inu-gumi, the entire time they were in the village, they were being stalked by the very cat they sought. Clearly, the campfire the group had used this morning, as well as the noise from their conversation as they traveled, had reached the sensitive ears of the yukihyou long before their arrival. This noise alerted the cat of their impending approach and provided the cat with ample time to maneuver itself into position for an attack.

This creature was talented indeed for it remained upwind of the hanyou and demons of the group, and was fast enough to avoid being seen by any of the members. And, this yukihyou had the ability to mask the several shikon shards it possessed so that even Kagome could not detect them.

Calculating silver-blue eyes tracked the group's every move, determining each member's strengths and weaknesses. Currently, the cat was on a roof top a few huts behind the group. Even though the yukihyou was crouched down low, pressed tightly to the contours of the structure, it was able to see everything and would be ready to pounce at a moment's notice. Its tail flicked back and forth in slow, sweeping, and rhythmical motions that indicated the beginnings of feline agitation. When it saw the hanyou swiftly approaching the heart of its territory, the neko youkai silently darted off into the woods where one of the many entrances to its den was located.

**BACK with the Inuyasha and company:**

Clearly expecting the creature to manifest before his eyes the moment he set foot on the mountain, Inuyasha was sorely disappointed when such was not the case. Hoping that provoking the being with words would elicit the desired response, Inuyasha loudly taunted the creature.

"Hey! You mangy flea-infested house-cat! I know you're up there! Stop being such a wuss and show yourself!" He bellowed at the creature. He gave the being a few moments to appear before he bellowed at it again.

"Or maybe you're too busy grooming yourself! What a prissy cat you are! It isn't going to help you any, fur-ball."

When no response from the enemy was forthcoming, he tried again. "You're not busy hacking up a hairball are you?" He laughed at his joke.

Not perturbed in the least, the yukihyou remained hidden. Clearly, this fight would be on his terms or no terms at all. For those who know feline behavior, such was the expected response.

Cats do what they want, when they want, and on their terms. And everything they do, they must first deem worthy or at least in some way in their best interest to do.

Focusing his energy on his favorite technique, the cat simply waited for the response it knew would follow.

Said expected response being that the hanyou would try to "sniff" him out. Nose to the ground, our favorite hanyou began tracking his enemy. That was when he heard it.

A soft warning growl came from his right. Tensing in anticipation for battle, Inuyasha was understandably shocked when nothing happened.

Then, the sound came again. This time the growl emanated from farther away and more to the hanyou's left. Again, the hanyou turned to face his enemy, only to find none.

'_This bastard's playing games with me!_' Inuyasha thought angrily. However, his dissatisfaction never showed on his features.

'_If_ _it's a game he wants, then he's gonna' get one he'll never forget!_' He silently vowed.

Shortly after the second warning was not taken heed of, a series of louder, more threatening growls began. Clearly, the youkai wanted the hanyou to leave his territory.

'_Shit. I can't tell where this thing really is! The sound's coming from everywhere and then echoing off the cliff. How many of them are there? Or is this thing so fast that it seems like it's everywhere?_' Inuyasha thought, beginning to get worried. He turned in circles, trying to figure out where his enemy could be.

The cat observed what was happening with a smug sense of satisfaction. With the hanyou confused, the cat decided to move into the second phase of his attack strategy.

From the corner of his left eye, and in his peripheral vision, Inuyasha caught a quick glimpse of the yukihyou. The being was soundlessly running in circles around the hanyou from what he could gather. The growling was almost constant now and was sufficiently loud enough to overpower any other sound that the cat would make while it was moving.

Heading in an opposite direction this time, the cat appeared in Inuyasha's peripheral vision of his right eye. The inu-hanyou kept catching glimpses of his enemy, but each time, the cat was moving in opposite directions.

'_Ok. He's circling me now and reversing direction. Maybe there's more than one?_' He thought.

But before he could make any move, the yukihyou beat him to it. From behind a rock from an alarmingly close distance, the leopard youkai lunged at him. The threat before the hanyou was quite formidable. The cat was indeed larger than Kirara and all its claws were unsheathed. Long canines were exposed as the cat snarled at him. Not having time to draw and transform Tetsusaiga, the hanyou had to rely on his claws.

"Iron Reaver Soul Stealer!" Inuyasha shouted as he brought his claws down on his enemy. The snow leopard youkai gracefully arced mid-air and avoided the hanyou's strike. Taking advantage of the fact that his opponent was off balance, the youkai bit the hanyou's right arm, gashed his abdomen, and sunk his teeth into his enemy's left shoulder. Just as the pain registered, the youkai had disappeared from view.

Staggering back, the hanyou was clearly confused. '_This thing bit my arm and my opposite shoulder! How the Hell did that happen!?!_' He thought while jumping back a safe distance from where he had just been attacked, and in the opposite direction from where the youkai disappeared to.

What Inuyasha failed to realize is that there was more than one opponent. The first cat had been a distraction whose goal was to allow a second youkai to attack the hanyou from behind. Hence three separate injuries were inflicted in a single attack.

Gripping his shoulder in pain and an attempt to slow the bleeding, Inuyasha scanned his surroundings for the cat.

"Giving up already?" Inuyasha confidently shouted at his opponent.

Turning around, Inuyasha finally got a full view of his enemy. The being was perched upon a rock about fifty feet above him. The silver-blue eyes were trained solely on the hanyou as the creature appeared to be looking down on the hanyou, in more ways than one.

The noble creature was solidly built with powerful limbs and a strong tail. It appeared to be a good three feet taller at the shoulder than Kirara in her transformed state, and its canines were also longer and thicker than his feline pack member. There was no doubting the raw power this snow leopard youkai contained.

The large forelimbs were extremely powerful and more than capable of delivering a fatal blow. Their power was augmented by six inch razor sharp claws that could cut through bone in a single swipe. The hind limbs were even more muscular than the front legs, for the purpose of propelling the animal in large, powerful leaps.

Its large tail was most likely also muscular for a reason too; more than likely it was used for balance, and Inuyasha thought it could also be used as a weapon; much like his brother's. Thick muscle extended from the cat's cranium all the way down to its large jaws, lending the leopard incredible jaw strength. The being's eyes were set high on its head, allowing it to hide from view but still be able to monitor the situation.

Its silver coat with black open rosettes provided it the perfect camouflage for its surroundings. Combine this with padding and fur between the animal's digits that make its movements silent, and it became the perfect predator. Clearly, this cat was well suited for its environment and used this to its advantage while hunting and while in battle.

But our favorite inu-hanyou did not have long to take in his opponent's appearance; for while he was studying the leopard youkai above him, he had unwittingly fallen into yet another trap that was set up for him. Inuyasha had drawn his sword and transformed it in preparation for battle. As he was crouching down with the intent of leaping after his opponent, the attack came.

Two more youkai crept up behind the unsuspecting hanyou as he was focused on the one above him. One quickly rushed at him while the other continued at a lazy predatory stalk. The one that rushed him was detected at almost the last possible second.

Inuyasha thought quickly and attacked. "Blades of Blood!" He yelled as he drenched his claws in his own blood and brought them down on the youkai.

This leopard was not expecting the move and therefore could not react fast enough to dodge. Consequently, two of Inuyasha's claws connected and the creature ended up with a nasty laceration from its shoulder to its flank on its left side.

The injured cat howled in pain before growling and circling the hanyou. Its sacrifice was not in vain though.

The cat that had accompanied the first had enough time to get onto a ledge above the hanyou. While its sibling kept the hanyou occupied, the second leapt at Inuyasha. The hanyou was unexpectedly thrown off balance before pain gripped his left leg.

This second cat had jumped from the ledge at Inuyasha, used the hanyou's back as a spring board, and then used the cliff behind him to push off of. All this work landed the felid at the stumbling hanyou's left side and in the perfect position to bite his thigh. As Inuyasha regained his balance, the cat released him. But that wasn't before it got a lucky swipe in at the hanyou's left side with its rear claws.

Both his attackers then retreated into the rocks once more. The second cat's prolonged attack more than likely bought the first cat enough time to escape.

Bleeding rather heavily from several deep injuries now, the hanyou sunk into the shallow cave that was close by to plan out his next move.

After only a moment, the felid came into Inuyasha's line of sight again. Instead of attacking the hanyou though, the cat simply laid down and stared at him. As soon as the creature was settled, it began purring, as if satisfied with itself and mocking the hanyou at the same time. The cat's tail moved in a steady up and down pattern with the tip of the tail flicking up and down in between the movements made by the entire tail.

Inuyasha openly stared at the cat's eyes. The yukihyou's pupils were more round instead of the slitted pupils that most neko youkai have. The way they glowed in the late afternoon sunshine was mesmerizing and the hanyou found himself unable to look away.

'Who's giving up now hanyou?' Inuyasha heard in his mind.

Believing it was an auditory hallucination brought on by blood loss, the hanyou merely ignored it. He was able to break eye contact, and shake off the effects of the youkai's technique. Gaining his footing and preparing for battle again, he began taunting the felid once more.

"Do you give up or are you ready for round two?" He confidently bellowed.

"This time, I know all your tricks. You won't fool me a second time!" Inuyasha continued.

'Knowing some of my tricks is only a quarter of the battle, hanyou. This old cat still has plenty of surprises.' The neko youkai told Inuyasha mentally.

"You done talking yet? Let's do this!" Inuyasha retorted.

And just like that, round two commenced. Inuyasha raised Tetsusaiga and tore up the ledge where the neko youkai was standing with one stroke of the Wind Scar.

When the rubble and dust settled, his opponent was nowhere to be seen.

Thinking he had won, Inuyasha smirked and re-sheathed Tetsusaiga.

"Hmm. I must have completely obliterated him with the Wind Scar. That was easy. And I thought he had so many more tricks up his sleeves. Ha! What tricks? Sure as hell didn't save his skin!" The inu-hanyou mocked.

He then began the process of reassuring himself that his foe had been defeated.

'_Well, I don't see it, and I don't smell it. So, I think it's relatively safe now. I should get Kagome up here to find any shards that may be here.'_

With that, the hanyou called down to his companions for Kirara to bring Kagome up to him.

And that is when the fun began.

**Author's Notes: **I know, it's an evil cliff-hanger. However, this chapter is already super long and this seems like a good place to end it.

Will you leave me a review and let me know what you think of this chapter…or what you think will happen in the next one? I can honestly say that reviews will help me update faster!! Thanks!

Until next time!

LadySword04


	5. On The Night of The New Moon: Part One

**Author's Note: **So after quite a length of time, LS04 brings you Chapter 5! I hope you all enjoy it! Thanks so much to those that have left me a review in the previous chapters! I really appreciate your kind words and encouragement. ^_^

**Previously On A Whole New Chain of Commands:**

After only a moment, the felid came into Inuyasha's line of sight again. Instead of attacking the hanyou though, the cat simply laid down and stared at him. As soon as the creature was settled, it began purring, as if satisfied with itself and mocking the hanyou at the same time. The cat's tail moved in a steady up and down pattern with the tip of the tail flicking up and down in between the movements made by the entire tail.

Inuyasha openly stared at the cat's eyes. The yukihyou's pupils were more round instead of the slitted pupils that most neko youkai have. The way they glowed in the late afternoon sunshine was mesmerizing and the hanyou found himself unable to look away.

'Who's giving up now hanyou?' Inuyasha heard in his mind.

Believing it was an auditory hallucination brought on by blood loss, the hanyou merely ignored it. He was able to break eye contact, and shake off the effects of the youkai's technique. Gaining his footing and preparing for battle again, he began taunting the felid once more.

"Do you give up or are you ready for round two?" He confidently bellowed.

"This time, I know all your tricks. You won't fool me a second time!" Inuyasha continued.

'Knowing some of my tricks is only a quarter of the battle, hanyou. This old cat still has plenty of surprises.' The neko youkai told Inuyasha mentally.

"You done talking yet? Let's do this!" Inuyasha retorted.

And just like that, round two commenced. Inuyasha raised Tetsusaiga and tore up the ledge where the neko youkai was standing with one stroke of the Wind Scar.

When the rubble and dust settled, his opponent was nowhere to be seen.

Thinking he had won, Inuyasha smirked and re-sheathed Tetsusaiga.

"Hmm. I must have completely obliterated him with the Wind Scar. That was easy. And I thought he had so many more tricks up his sleeves. Ha! What tricks? Sure as hell didn't save his skin!" The inu-hanyou mocked.

He then began the process of reassuring himself that his foe had been defeated.

'_Well, I don't see it, and I don't smell it. So, I think it's relatively safe now. I should get Kagome up here to find any shards that may be here.'_

With that, the hanyou called down to his companions for Kirara to bring Kagome up to him.

And that is when the fun began.

**Chapter Five: Challenges on the Night of the New Moon Part One**

Hearing Inuyasha's instructions to take Kagome up to him, Kirara's ears perked as she listened to the hanyou. Once the message was relayed, she gave a small roar of assent to inform the hanyou that she had both heard him and understood his request.

She then looked to Sango for approval. Using various forms of non-verbal communication, Kirara relayed the information to her mistress that she was to bring Kagome up to Inuyasha. Her message complete, the taijiya nodded to indicate her consent.

When she had her mistress's approval, the neko youkai padded over to Kagome and aligned herself so that she was parallel to the miko. Having not heard Inuyasha's request, Kagome was not aware of what the fire cat wanted her to do.

Realizing this, Kirara craned her head to the side expectantly to look at her soon-to-be passenger, and Kagome finally got the message. The neko youkai wanted her to climb aboard.

With an "Oh!" of recognition, Kagome quickly did so. She then proceeded to hold onto the thick fur of Kirara's collar to ensure that when the fire cat took off, she would not fall.

Once Kirara was sure that the miko was secure on her back, she took to the skies in a few short leaps. Mere seconds later, both Kirara and Kagome touched down on the mountainside a few yards from Inuyasha.

"Oi!" He called to Kagome and Kirara as he moved to join them.

Once they were but a few yards apart, he continued, "Well that was easier than I thought. Stupid cat didn't stand a chance against my Tetsusaiga." The hanyou boasted while smirking.

Having been focused on dismounting Kirara, Kagome did not realize that the hanyou was in less than perfect condition. He sure sounded fine!

With a startled expression and tone she exclaimed, "Inuyasha! You're hurt! Wait right here. I'll be right back!"

Turning back to her mount, she asked, "Kirara, can we please go back down and get my medical supplies so we can patch him up?" the neko youkai growled her agreement while Kagome moved to get onto Kirara's back once more.

"Bah! No need Kagome! They're nothing but flesh wounds. They're already starting to heal and I'll be fine in no time. Stop worrying already." He informed the miko rather irritably.

Hearing his reply, Kagome turned back around to face the hanyou and give him a piece of her mind.

"I have good reason to be worried baka! For your information, Inuyasha, we don't know what kind of bacteria live in that cat's mouth. And _**News Flash**_, all those infectious agents are now in your bloodstream! We've got to clean out those wounds and patch you up so they don't get infected." Kagome fired right back at his macho response.

"I told you wench! My body's a lot stronger than yours. I don't have to worry about all that stuff like you weak humans do! Let's just find the shards and get going already!" Came his heated retort.

Clearly getting cross at his surly attitude, Kagome responded in an equally heated tone.

"While that may be true, Inuyasha, there's something you're not considering. That cat was a youkai! You're part youkai. Your body temperature and that creature's are roughly the same. Therefore, anything that lives in that cat's mouth will be able to survive in your body. I am not going to let you develop blood poisoning and die because you want to play Mr. Macho. Kirara and I will be right back and you are going to let me patch you up when we return. After, and I mean _**ONLY**_ _**AFTER**_, your wounds are cleaned and bandaged will I even _**THINK **_of searching for shards."

With that, she jumped onto Kirara's back and the fire cat brought her back to the rest of their group. Inuyasha was left to merely sputter as his mind worked double time to come up with a suitable response.

Seeing that Kagome and Kirara were returning, Miroku and Sango began wondering what was going on. As soon as Kagome was within ear shot Sango cupped her hands around her mouth and asked her what was happening.

"Hey Kagome-chan! What's going on? Why isn't Inuyasha coming down with you?" Sango called to her friend.

"That Baka got himself injured and I forgot my medical supplies. Can you grab my bag please?" Kagome responded.

While Miroku was retrieving her backpack, Kirara made a circle around the group. The monk held it up in the air for Kagome to retrieve when she and Kirara made another pass. Successfully grabbing the pack out of the monk's hands, Kagome and Kirara were quickly heading back to the mountain and the injured hanyou.

But that was not before Kagome yelled a "Thank-you!" over her shoulder to the monk and slayer.

Once more, Kirara and Kagome began the short flight to the scene of the most recent battle. On the way, Kagome swung her bag in front of her and clutched it to her chest with one arm while the other anchored her to the fire cat. After a few short moments, Kirara touched down on the mountain side and allowed her passenger to dismount. As soon as Kagome's feet hit solid ground, she crouched down and began her search for her medical kit.

Meanwhile, the hanyou of the group was silently hoping that the miko would not be able to find her kit and would therefore have no choice but to start looking for the shards.

'_Well, I will admit that it's kinda' nice having her so concerned for me that she's willing to try to help my injuries heal. But we don't know if Naraku is watching right now. If he is and he sees her concern, he may come up with some new evil way to torture the two of us. Come to think of it, it's also like I am admitting that I am too weak to heal on my own if I let her help me. It's too risky out in the open like this. We don't know what other enemies may be watching. I'll have to do something to distract Kagome long enough that she will find the shards before she tries to fix my injuries. I'm going to be human tonight, so we have to find shelter anyway. She can patch me up there.' _Inuyasha thought while Kagome was gone.

Medical kit successfully located, Kagome beamed in triumph. The disappointment showed clearly on the hanyou's face once the "white box of annoyances" came into view.

"Inuyasha, would you please come here so I can clean those wounds out?" She cheerfully asked her friend.

"I told you wench! I don't need any of your silly anna-skeptics or stupid bandages! I'm fine! Let's just find the shards and get outta' here already." Inuyasha responded.

"Inuyasha." Kagome sweetly called with an angelic smile on her face. "If you don't allow me to help you I _**WILL **_say the Word." She threatened.

"Keh!" Inuyasha merely huffed as he crossed his arms in the sleeves of his haori allowing his body language to communicate that her threat didn't frighten him in the least.

"Don't make me say it." Kagome warned again, this time in a more threatening tone and with a menacing glare to boot.

He simply glared right back at her as if daring the miko to do her worst.

"Osuwari!" came her command.

Just as every time before, the kotodama around his neck activated, glowed pink, and pulled the hanyou face first into the ground.

A rather loud _Thud_ echoed off the multiple faces of the surrounding mountains. This sound was quickly followed by a surprised "Ack!" and a rumbling growl from the hanyou as he gave voice to his shock and irritation.

"Now Inuyasha, when the spell wears off are you going to hang around long enough for me to treat your injuries or am I going to have to subdue you once more?" Kagome asked sweetly.

Her initial answer was an increase in the amount of frustrated and angry growling the hanyou was currently sending in her direction.

'_I am so gonna' tell her off when this stupid spell wears off! She's not coming anywhere near me with that stuff until we find those shards and keep that thing from regenerating again. That cat put up quite a fight and I don't want Kagome anywhere near it should this thing re-animate again. I should point that out so she'll just look for them and worry about me later.' _Inuyasha thought as he was face first in the dirt.

Kagome merely stood and observed the hanyou as the spell began wearing off. As soon as he could stand, Inuyasha was on his feet and rounded angrily on the miko from the future.

"What the hell was that for _**Wench**_!?! You said it yourself, this thing has jewel shards! What happens if this thing has regenerated before we can retrieve them? We just wasted valuable time in locating the shards or didn't you realize that?" Inuyasha shouted at her.

"Well if you would have let me help you, those wounds could have been cleaned and bandaged by now and instead of arguing as we currently are, we could be looking for the kakera right now!" Kagome argued right back.

"Let's just find the shards Kagome. You can fuss over me later. We don't got time for this right now!" The hanyou bellowed at her.

With that, he turned his back to her and began cautiously walking towards what was left of the entrance to the cave that he saw the cat retreat into right before the cat was obliterated with the Kaze no Kizu.

"And Kirara, whatever happens, stick close to Kagome. I'm not sure how many of those cats there are." He requested while walking towards the cave.

"I only "fuss" as you put it because I'm worried about you, you stupid JERK!" Kagome hollered at him.

With that, the miko called Kagome angrily grabbed her things and stomped off after the hanyou. Kirara was right on her heels.

**Meanwhile With The Yukihyou:**

To say that the feline youkai was surprised by the ferociousness of the Kaze no Kizu was an understatement. He had just enough time to dart into one of the familiar passages that led deep into the heart of the mountain before the route behind him caved in and a great force shook the surrounding earth.

'_Killing off those mole youkai that inhabited this mountain before I claimed it for myself was quite an intelligent move on my part. I am glad I let them burrow numerous paths through the mountain before I ended their lives. While it was rather frustrating hunting them, their tunnels have served me well over the years, and today, they have saved my life. That hanyou and his sword are more formidable than I had anticipated. Relying on these tunnels and stealth will most definitely allow me to maintain the upper hand in this fight. However, I will have to prevent him from drawing his weapon for the remainder of our battle.' _The big cat thought to itself.

When enough time had passed, the felid decided to move topside and observe his enemy once more. Unbeknownst to his opponents, the creature stalked through a series of tunnels that it had memorized and emerged from the depths of the mountainside a few meters above their heads. The cat watched the argument with great interest and was more than surprised to find out that the hanyou's female companion was now at his side.

'_She seems to be a weak mortal. There are no weapons on her person except for the rather large bag she carries. She is not a threat, but she seems to be of some value to the hanyou. Targeting her at some point in our battle might give me the opening I need to finish off the annoying dog.' _The cat smirked to himself as a new strategy began taking shape in his mind.

As he was going over the details, he heard the command uttered from the girl's mouth and a rather loud crashing noise. Her shriek had been more than enough to startle the cat and cause him to flatten his ears to his head in an attempt to protect his sensitive hearing. Didn't those annoying creatures know that something so loud and high pitched hurt!

Consequently, the yukihyou was drawn from his thoughts and took note of the situation below once more. The hanyou was now prone and appeared unable to move. Therefore, the girl was even more vulnerable now that her companion was out of commission.

'_Now here's an opportunity that is too good to waste.' _The youkai thought with excitement.

The creature crouched down in preparation for his leap. The cat's tail moved in slow back and forth movements slightly above the ground behind him as he calculated the distance to his opponents and picked the spot where he wanted to land. Calculations complete, the feline youkai was ready to pounce from his perch.

**Back With Inuyasha and Kagome:**

Inuyasha was a mere twenty feet from what was left of the cave's entrance when the cat made his move. The hanyou was completely unaware of the attack that was coming at him from above as there was no sound nor was there any scent to warn him.

In the cat's movements prior to the leap, not even a single pebble had been displaced, therefore no sound was generated. The cat certainly was clever. In his calculations, he made a conscious effort to keep his tail from touching the ground, and made sure not to growl. As for scent, a slight wind kept the cat quite literally upwind of the hanyou so that only scent the hanyou could catch was that of the scorched earth due to his sword's attack.

While Inuyasha did not see the big cat's descent, Kagome and Kirara certainly did. In the moment of sheer panic when Kagome realized the predicament Inuyasha was in the middle of without realizing it, the miko made a snap decision that she hoped would save his life. To her, it appeared as if the big cat was aiming to decapitate the hanyou and he would not be able to react in time to prevent his head's imminent separation from his shoulders.

"OUSWARI!" she screamed at him without thinking.

Maybe it was because she was furious at him and the word had been on the tip of her tongue before the big cat appeared.

Maybe she meant to scream at him to warn him of the danger and this phrase came out instead.

Or maybe she meant to shout some explicative and the command to 'sit' had slipped out in its place.

Whatever the reason, the command was given and the hanyou had no choice but to obey as the kotodama dragged him down for a second time that day.

As Kagome had hoped, the big cat missed Inuyasha completely. The yukihyou landed with a soft but still audible 'Thump' a few seconds after Inuyasha hit the ground. The cat's limbs flexed as the full force of the impact was absorbed by his joints. And a fraction of a second later, the beast had recovered. Seeing that his opponent had yet again been subdued, the cat quickly prepared for another attack. His initial strategy had been foiled by that girl, but her command had given him an even better alternative. He looked at the miko for a moment, as if thanking her for giving him such a fantastic opportunity.

In a few short but graceful strides later, the feline youkai was at Inuyasha's side and began the short process of deciding what to do with him. He initially chose to lazily run his claws down the entirety of the hanyou's back a few times in large strokes that cut deeply into the hanyou's flesh.

'_You're really starting to bore me, hanyou. Where's the epic battle you promised? This one has gotten rather tame as of late. Why you're not even good enough to qualify as a toy anymore.'_ The leopard youkai taunted Inuyasha telepathically.

It was all Inuyasha could do to growl back at the leopard and think of insults to hurl back.

Kagome could only look on in horror at what she had inadvertently caused. Inuyasha was face down and unable to rise as his enemy slowly tore him apart.

Kirara had been standing close to Kagome to protect her should any other threat arise, but she was torn. Inuyasha had told her to keep Kagome safe and not to leave her side for any reason, but he was being attacked and was currently unable to retaliate. Kirara wanted to help him, but she needed Kagome to say something that would allow her to do so.

That moment came when the big cat tired of raking his claws over Inuyasha and decided to go for his neck.

'_Since it appears you are incapable of serving as a source of amusement for me any longer, I shall put an end to your pathetic existence.' _The youkai continued to taunt.

Kagome had been a silent onlooker for what felt like an eternity. It was at the exact moment that the cat decided to move in for the kill that the miko realized what was going on. She had seen Buyo and several other cats all of a sudden make the switch from playful to predatory. The gleam in this cat's eyes as well as his posture suggested that such a change was taking place. When this thought registered, Kagome realized with horror just what the youkai was going to do. Fear no longer held her captive as she found her voice and was able to beg Kirara to help their mutual friend.

"Kirara! Help him! Please!" Kagome shouted in a blind panic.

With that, Kirara was off, barreling towards the yukihyou faster than she had ever moved before.

But the cat's jaws were already dangerously close to their friend's neck when Kirara began to rush in to the rescue. Even with Kirara's demonic speed, it was highly unlikely that she would arrive in time to save the hanyou.

This time though, they were lucky.

The yukihyou could not get a solid grip on the hanyou's neck. Because of the intensity of Kagome's command, the hanyou was currently a foot deep in the rock, and the majority of his neck was protected from the youkai's jaws. Frustrated, the big cat growled, then began trying to dig his neck out before attempting that again.

The youkai was so focused on his task that he failed to realize Kirara was coming at him. The fire cat swiftly collided full force, and at top speed, with the cat's shoulder. This caused the two of them to tumble over one another a few times before they hit the side of the mountain and came to a stop. From the moment of impact until they came to rest, the two cats were a mass of flying teeth and claws as each tried to fatally wound the other.

The two broke apart moments later when one of Kirara's powerful kicks connected with the yukihyou's abdomen and flung him into the air a good distance from her. Both quickly righted themselves and circled the other for a moment, sizing each other up.

During their circling match, Kirara intentionally acted as if she was injured to lure the snow leopard in. She limped in a rather exaggerated manner that made it painfully obvious her left forelimb was all but useless.

Fortunately her opponent took the bait and lunged for her. Kirara merely let the snow leopard youkai rush her, and immediately went on the offensive when the enemy was within striking distance.

Having never fought such an experienced and formidable foe, the yukihyou was at a great disadvantage. When Kirara got the upper hand and grabbed the yukihyou by the neck, both Kagome and Kirara thought the fight was finally over. However, before Kirara could fully clamp down to sever the creature's spinal cord, it mysteriously vanished; vaporizing into thin air in only a fraction of an instant.

While Kirara had been fighting the yukihyou, Kagome rushed to Inuyasha's side to determine the extent of his injuries. He was in worse shape than she had expected and was horrified to see just how deeply their enemy's claws had cut him.

"Inuyasha? Can you hear me? Say something!" Kagome pled with the hanyou.

He was, and remained, unresponsive. The pain from his multiple injuries coupled with blood loss was simply too much for the hanyou to handle.

'_Oh Kami! What have I done?'_ She thought as the tears began to stream down her face.

'_This is bad. Really bad! I messed up terribly this time. Oh Kami! What do I do! What happens if he doesn't heal? What happens if he does and he never forgives me?' _Her thoughts began racing through her head in a jumbled mess from one possibility to the next.

The miko from the future allowed herself a few moments of complete terror and even a few more seconds of self pity. When she began hyperventilating, she knew she had to get herself under control once more, or there would be no helping any of them.

'_Ok, enough Kagome! Pull yourself together girl. You're the only one that can help right now. You screwed up, but you're going to fix it! Get it together! Ok…what do I do first? Focus and Think! First things first then. We've got to get out of here before that thing comes back.' _Kagome thought.

From here on out, Kagome's thoughts were more organized and what she had to do became more and more clear.

"Kirara!" Kagome called in the calmest voice she could manage.

"Are you injured? Can you move over here so I can patch you up?" She asked, concern evident in her tone.

The fire cat youkai slowly walked over to where Kagome and Inuyasha were. While she had a slight limp, and several cuts along her shoulders, she did not appear to have sustained any life threatening injury.

"Let me see your leg and those cuts." Kagome stated.

With that, Kagome quickly cleaned and bandaged what she could. After all, if they were to get Inuyasha out of there, Kagome would need Kirara's help. A few minutes longer wouldn't make too much of a difference.

"I know this is asking a lot of you Kirara, but are you injured too badly to carry Inuyasha and myself somewhere?"

Kirara gave a low grunt, and Kagome was momentarily confused.

"Kirara, does that mean a 'yes' or a 'no'? I don't understand." Kagome calmly explained.

Understanding registered in the cat's eyes, and Kirara gave a horizontal shake of her head to indicate that 'No' she was not too injured to move them somewhere.

"Thank-you Kirara!" Kagome exclaimed before hugging the fire cat.

"Can you help me get him onto your back?" She asked.

This time, Kirara nodded in a vertical movement that she knew humans understood as a "Yes."

As soon as her companion nodded, Kagome told her friend the plan.

"Ok. So I need you to lift him up a little bit so that I can put my arms under his shoulders and help you pull him out of that hole." Kagome stated.

Instructions now complete, the two began the process of extracting the injured hanyou from the Inuyasha-shaped crater he was currently occupying. Kirara grabbed what was left of his fire rat haori in her jaws, taking great care not to further injure him. Her grip secure, she gently lifted him up and then waited for Kagome to get into position.

Kagome put her hands under his arms and pulled upwards. Once they had enough height for the hanyou to clear the depression in the ground, they began the process of sliding him out of the hole, backing up and taking him with them. Once he was clear, Kirara waited for instructions.

"Great job Kirara. Thank-you. Now what I need you to do is get along side of us so I can pull him onto your back." Kagome once again instructed.

With that, the large cat began slowly releasing her grip on the hanyou to make sure that Kagome could support his weight. When Kirara felt certain that Kagome had him, she moved into position. The fire cat got as close to the hanyou's side as possible, made sure she was parallel with his body, then crouched down as low to the ground as possible.

As carefully as she could, Kagome tried to move the hanyou onto Kirara's back. However, the angle was wrong, she couldn't get her feet into the correct position without stepping on Kirara, and her arms were quickly becoming fatigued.

"Kirara!" Kagome panted as she struggled not to drop her injured friend. "New plan! I need you to crawl between Inuyasha and myself so I can drape him across your back. Hurry though! I'm going to lose my grip on him!" Kagome quickly stated.

Kirara quickly complied, and began executing a perfect military crawl. As she was passing under the hanyou, Kirara used her head to support some of the hanyou's weight, and to give Kagome some relief. This behavior also allowed her to make enough space for her body to pass underneath of Inuyasha's. When Kirara was in position, Kagome began lowering him onto her back, just behind her shoulder blades.

"I'll be right back. Let me grab my first aid kit. My bag will have to wait." Kagome panted, still not fully recovered from the exertion of getting the hanyou onto Kirara's back.

She quickly walked over to where her kit was located and retrieved the item she sought before returning to her friends. She gingerly climbed onto Kirara's back, fearful of jostling her companion and of aggravating any of Kirara's injuries.

"We need to go tell Miroku and Sango what we plan to do first. Is that ok with you Kirara?" Kagome inquired.

With a roar, the neko youkai took to the skies and rushed back to the remainder of their group.

**End of Chapter Five!**

**Author's End Note****:**

Hey all! Hope you enjoyed this chapter of "A Whole New Chain of Commands!" If so, will you leave me a review? You can even leave me suggestions for what you want to see next time.

Until next time,

LadySword04


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